Pokémon: Adina Adventures
by The Phantom Starfish
Summary: Lucas Young, a skilled rookie Trainer, sets off on an adventure through the Adina region to become Champion, a journey which he has dreamed of forever. Along the way to the Adina League, Lucas will not only make new friends but also enemies. This won't be as easy as he had hoped nor will it go according to his plan...
1. An Adventure Awaits!

**A/N - This is the first proper fanfiction that I've written (constructive criticism welcome) and at the time of posting this chapter, I have finished writing the story up to and including Chapter 30 but if I see a good prediction or idea, I might change it up a bit before I post it. This is in a completely original region, with original Gym Leaders and characters. Updates should be every week or two and I'll try to reply to every review in the next chapter. If you want to submit an OC for the next instalment (if there is one [there probably will be]), fill out the OC form in my profile and DM me the filled out version. This story, and potential follow-ups, will be set in the same universe as El Torro's stories (check 'em out, they're good). Also, despite Lucas being a rookie, he can come up with clever strategies on the fly as a result of watching all of the televised Gym and League battles repeatedly (including Owen Plateau's and Gray Plain's [El Torro's OCs]). Lucas' adventure awaits!**

It was the middle of the night and Lucas couldn't stop tossing and turning in his bed. He was filled with the anticipation of choosing his starter the next day. Lucas had wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer ever since he saw Brendan's battles in the Ever Grande Conference; after that pivotal moment, Lucas went back and watched the Indigo and Silver League battles showcasing Red and Ethan's battling prowess and watched all future League battles. Lucas didn't go on his journey at 10 like most people would, he wanted to watch the other region's Leagues and Gym Battles. However, at 12, he was devastated to find out that the then-new Kalos Champion, Owen Plateau, raised the age from 10 to 14 due to Team Grim causing the tragic deaths of the old Kalos Elite Four and Champion. A few days after that announcement was made, Lucas fell into a slump and almost gave up on his dream. That was until a new rookie trainer, Gray Plain, came onto the scene. After he saw her first Gym Battle of the Indigo League, he made it his life's mission to tune in to every one of her televised battles all the way through to the Unova League. During Gray's journey, Lucas was filled with inspiration and a new-found passion, leading him to reapply for his Trainer's licence.

While trying to get to sleep he reminisced about all the journeys he's witnessed and how every Trainer got powerful enough to win the Pokémon League. Whilst he was reminiscing, he had drifted off and had started dreaming about which starter he should choose. Then, the dream conjured up a stadium that had a battlefield that was ten-foot from end to end and was outlined with white paint. It also had two white lines from each side going to the middle to create a 2D Poké Ball shape and at each end, there was a rectangle of space also outlined with white paint. To the right side of the battlefield, there was a grey podium that overlooked it, and all around the battlefield were bleachers where a huge crowd was cheering appeared with Lucas standing in one of the rectangular outlines.

" _Klink, the steel type starter… It evolves into Klinklang which has quite a high defense stat."_ He thought as a creature that resembled four interlocking gears, with six teeth on the smaller two gears and eight teeth on the larger gear appeared in front of Lucas on the dream battlefield. The fourth gear was on its lower side and was red-topped with a thin, spiked rim below it. The teeth of the smaller gears were a light gray, while their central regions were darker. The teeth of the larger gear was a medium gray with a darker central region. The left eye of the smaller gear was a white "X", while it's right eye had a black pupil and a white sclera, it also had a round green nose and a small mouth. The largest gear appeared to have a face with a black square for its left eye, a black circle for its right eye, and a sharply angled white frown.

" _Snorunt, the ice starter…. It has a split evolution line, Glalie and Froslass. I wonder which one I'd get…"_ This time, during his thoughts, a spherical creature that consisted of a black rock core that was covered by ice appeared in front of Lucas on the dream battlefield. The icy covering had several holes and spaces across the body. Blue eyes and a mouth with flat teeth were visible through three of these holes. There were two large, black, conical horns on either side of its head. Then a humanoid creature with a hollow body that looked like a kimono appeared. It wore a red band around its waist tied up in a bow at the back. Its body lacked feet like its counterpart Glalie, its arms, which had flares that had a light blue colouration at the wrists and it hands that had three small fingers were connected to the side of its head which resembled a sideways water droplet and was topped with two ice crystals that resembled horns. Its head also had several holes in it, making it resemble a mask; through two of these holes, crystal blue eyes with yellow sclera could be seen and mouth beneath the "mask". He knew he wouldn't pick Phanpy as his starter because it's evolution, Donphan, seemed a bit too stubborn for Lucas' taste. Lucas was then woken up by a sharp beeping noise. He discovered that the noise was coming from his alarm clock. It was 10:00 AM, later than he had hoped. He rushed to get changed into his usual light blue T-shirt with a Poké Ball emblazoned on it and baggy trousers. He then looked in the mirror with a short, blond, and blue-eyed baby-faced reflection looking back at him.

" _Oh, shit! I'm later than I'd hoped. I better get going!"_ Lucas thought as he was getting changed and then running down the stairs, only to be stopped in his tracks by his mother.

"Lucas! What have I told you about running down the stairs?!" she asked in a harsh tone.

"But, Muuuum! I'm late for getting my first Pokémon." Lucas rebutted and gave her a puppy-dog eyes look. After several seconds, which felt like minutes, had passed, his mother was forced to concede.

"Alright, fine! You win this one." Lucas fist-pumped in celebration. "Shouldn't you get going now? You don't want to be even later now, do you?" she asked.

"Oh, shit!" he said under his breath as he was putting on his light blue sneakers.

"Lucas!" his mum scolded him.

"Sorry, Mum!" he shouted as he ran out the door to go to Professor Blossom's lab.

Lucas ran through the narrow streets of Enevca and past some cherry blossom trees towards Professor's Blossom's lab, taking about ten minutes. Lucas almost crashed face-first into the doors as he was thinking about his starter Pokémon. Lucas entered Blossom's lab to see his rival Tendou and Professor Blossom standing opposite each other next to a table with three spherical red and white objects on it. Tendou was tall and had dark skin and brown eyes with medium-length jet black hair, he was wearing a black shirt and baggy jeans. Professor Blossom was in her late 20's, she had fair skin and long pink hair that had white streak and was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing a turquoise lab coat and a T-shirt underneath that had a picture of a tiny, brown, round-ish Pokémon with beady black eyes and a large, round, pink nose that seemed to be perpetually buried within the earth, leaving only its head visible, wearing sunglasses and orange text that said 'Can you Diglett?' on it. Lucas walked up to his rival and the region's Professor.

"Jeez, what took you so long?!" Tendou complained. "I've been waiting forever!" he continued.

"Pfftt, yeah right" Lucas rebutted sarcastically. "You've been here for, like, 10 minutes. Do you not understand the concept of time!?" Lucas teased.

"Of course I do, idiot!" Tendou shot back. "It was a hyperbole!" He said trying to justify his complaints.

"Like you'd know what a hyperbole is…" Lucas remarked. Professor Blossom calmly interrupted and said

"Now, now, children - "

"WE'RE NOT CHILDREN!" Lucas and Tendou shouted simultaneously, interrupting the Professor in the process.

"Now that I have your attention, are you going to choose your starter Pokémon?" Blossom asked the rookie Trainers. Tendou piped up.

"I'm gonna let you choose first because I'm a gentleman!"

"Gentleman, my ass…." Lucas muttered under his breath. Professor Blossom opened the spherical objects releasing three Pokémon in a flash of blue light. Once the light dissipated, there were three Pokémon on the table. A creature resembling two interlocking gears with six light gray teeth each, round turquoise noses and small mouths with each gear having a white "X" in place of their left eye while their right eyes had black pupils and white scleras was on the left side of the table. In the middle of the table was a small, black ovoid creature that had circular, light blue eyes, wide teeth, and spherical hands and feet that lacked digits, it was also covered with a yellow cloak that made it look triangular. The cloak was rimmed with an orange stripe and had three diamond-shaped orange markings on the back. And a light blue elephant-like creature was on the right side of the table. Lucas walked over to the table with the Pokémon on it with one thought on his mind. His choice of starter.

"So, have you made your choice, Lucas?" Professor Blossom questioned.

"Yes, I have, Professor…." Lucas said. "I choose you…."

 **A/N - How's that for a cliffhanger? I wouldn't normally, but I need to keep you interested somehow, don't I? So, in this chapter, we were introduced to the main character Lucas, his rival Tendou (who's a bit of a dick) and the region's Professor. Next chapter Lucas' and Tendou's starters will be revealed and we'll see Lucas' first rival battle. Don't forget to leave a review (if you want, I can't tell you what to do). See you next chapter!**


	2. Steely Determination V Chilling Strategy

**I Choose You! Steely Determination VS Chilling Strategy**

 **A/N - Guess who's back? Back again! So, last chapter, I left you on a cliffhanger on who Lucas' starter was; this chapter, you'll find out who he picked along with Tendou's starter choice and their first battle. Enjoy! P.S. The reason why the chapter title is in the chapter is because of the character limit.**

"I choose you, Snorunt!" Lucas said while pointing at the Pokémon in the middle of the table. The Pokémon in question jumped happily into Lucas' arms cheering "Sno! Sno! Snorunt!"

"Now, then Tendou, it's your turn to choose your starter Pokémon. Have you made your decision yet?" Professor Blossom asked.

" Yes, Professor, I have!" Tendou proclaimed proudly. " I choose Klink!" he continued while pointing at the creature on the left side of the table. The Pokémon Tendou was pointing at seemed nonplussed about being chosen as Tendou's starter and floated over to its new Trainer. The Pokémon that was left seemed saddened that it wasn't chosen but got distracted when it saw its snout sway and started swinging it around playfully. "Phan! Phan! Phanpy!" it cheered happily while still swinging its long snout around.

"Now, then boys," Professor Blossom said, addressing Lucas and Tendou and withdrawing Phanpy back to its Poké Ball. "I have some things I'd like to give you before you start your journey." she continued, walking over to her desk. She picked up a tray and brought them to Lucas and Tendou; the tray was holding twenty tiny red and white balls and two coloured devices that had a thin screen in between the coloured sections. Lucas suddenly went wide-eyed and shouted "Woah, no way! A PokéDex?! Really, Professor?!" Tendou just rolled his eyes at Lucas' behaviour.

"That's right, Lucas." she said giving the boys a kind smile. "I imported these PokéDexes from the Kalos region and modified them so that they will now allow you to identify all the Pokémon that live here in the Adina region." she continued. Lucas then took his turquoise PokéDex and scanned Snorunt with it. "Snorunt, the Snow Hat Pokémon," a female voice emitting from the PokéDex said pulling up an image of a Snorunt. "It can only survive in cold areas. It bounces happily around, even in environments as cold as -101 degrees Celsius. It is also said that several Snorunt gather under giant leaves and live together in harmony." it finished.

Lucas then scanned Klink with the PokéDex. "Klink, the Gear Pokémon. Interlocking two bodies and spinning around generates the energy that it needs to live." the PokéDex said pulling up an image of Klink this time. "The two minigears that mesh together are predetermined. Each will rebound from other minigears without meshing." it continued.

"Yeah, yeah, enough of this!" Tendou piped up. "We've got our Pokémon, so let's battle already!" he shouted, drawing a sigh from Professor Blossom.

"Alright, but if you're gonna battle, do it outside so you don't destroy my lab." she said leading them and their Pokémon outside onto the streets of Enevca. "I'll be the referee for this battle between Tendou of Enevca Town and Lucas Young, also of Enevca Town!" she proclaimed after she moved to the side of the makeshift battlefield. "Trainers, choose your Pokémon!"

"Snorunt, I choose you!" Lucas said to Snorunt, prompting the Pokémon to walk forward onto the battlefield. "Sno! Sno!" it cheered, eagerly anticipating the battle.

"Klink, let's go!" Tendou said, prompting Klink to float onto the battlefield, if it was excited for the battle it didn't show.

"This battle will be between Snorunt and Klink! Let the battle begin!" the Professor shouted.

"Snorunt, use Powder Snow!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt immediately sent out a flurry of snow with icy-blue tints from its mouth towards Klink.

"Klink, use Thunder Shock!" Tendou countered. Klink then fired off a thin bolt of electricity towards the oncoming Powder Snow sending the bolt straight through the middle and towards Snorunt.

"Snorunt, dodge it!" Lucas shouted, but it was too late; the attack had hit Snorunt square in the face, doing more damage than Lucas expected. "Snorunt, no!" he cried. The Powder Snow then hit Klink with little, tinny clink sounds, hardly doing any damage.

"Snorunt, use Double Team to surround Klink and then use Leer!" Snorunt then got up and started making clones of itself and ran towards Klink along with its clones. The Snorunts then surrounded Klink and made a sinister face at it causing a deep blue ring of energy to appear around the metal Pokémon, which disappeared after a few seconds as did Snorunt's clones. Klink's defense was now low enough to do some damage.

"Klink, use Vice Grip, now!" Tendou shouted. Klink obeyed its Trainer and clamped down hard on Snorunt who had no chance of dodging the attack at such close range.

" _That's it!"_ Lucas thought. "Snorunt, close range Powder Snow, now!" Lucas ordered. Snorunt pushed through the pain of Klink's Vice Grip and opened its mouth to send another flurry of snow from it; this time hitting Klink in the face causing it to reel back, fall on the floor and let go of Snorunt long enough for it to escape back to Lucas' side of the battlefield.

"Snorunt, can you carry on?" Lucas asked, expressing concern for his Pokémon. "Sno! Sno!" the Pokémon replied with a nod.

"One last attack should take him out, Snorunt!" Lucas told Snorunt. "Powder Snow, let's go!" Snorunt sent out another snow flurry towards Klink, who was having trouble getting back up.

"Klink, dodge it!" Tendou demanded, but when Klink had finally got up, the Powder Snow hit it directly in the face causing to fall on the floor with a loud clunk. Klink's eyes had turned into swirls and the Pokémon could no longer get up.

"And the winner is Lucas and Snorunt!" proclaimed Professor Blossom, who looked proud of the rookie Trainers for having such skill in battling already.

"We did it, we won!" cheered Lucas, picking up Snorunt and spinning around with it in his arms. He then pressed a button on its Poké Ball that sent out a red beam that withdrew it to its Poké Ball to give it some rest. Tendou walked up to Lucas after withdrawing Klink to its Poké Ball.

"You know the only reason you won is 'cause I wasn't even trying, right?" he asked smugly.

" _Ugh, this guy is such a bad loser!"_ Lucas thought to himself before saying "Yeah, right(!) Just accept the loss, dude. It was a good battle anyway." He then offered a handshake for a well-fought battle to Tendou, who took it reluctantly.

"Yeah, well, you won't win next time. I'll make sure of it."

"Yeah, sure, I won't." Lucas replied sarcastically.

"Now, then," Professor Blossom chimed in. "Before you go rushing off to the next city, go back home, get some sleep and say goodbye to your mothers in the morning."

Lucas and Tendou walked back to their street in darkness and silence until they reached their respective houses. Lucas walked into his house to see his mum sat on a lilac armchair on the left side of a living room with lilac colour walls watching an old film on the TV.

"What took you so long, Lucas?" she asked, not looking away from the TV. Lucas sat down on the white sofa at the back of the room and put his bag down on the floor.

"Well, after Tendou and I got our starters, he challenged me to battle!" Lucas said excitedly. "So, we went outside and had our first real Pokémon battle!" he finished with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Oh? Who won?" his mother asked. Beaming with pride, Lucas proclaimed, "I did! I won my very first battle!"

"So, are you going to show me your starter Pokémon, then?" Lucas' mother asked, now looking at Lucas.

"Can you wait until the morning? That battle really took a lot out of us." Lucas replied picking his bag up off the floor.

"Yeah, okay. Good night, honey!" she agreed.

"Night, Mum!" Lucas said as walked upstairs to his bedroom. He walked into his familiar turquoise coloured room with walls decorated with posters of famous Pokémon Trainers. He then put his bag in the corner of the room and Snorunt's Poké Ball on his bedside table. He then got out of his clothes and put them in his wardrobe. Lucas then climbed into his Pokémon decorated bed and promptly passed out.

 **A/N - So, this chapter Lucas was revealed to have chosen Snorunt as his starter and Tendou picked Klink and the two battled. But despite facing a type disadvantage, Lucas managed to pull out the win. Next chapter will focus on Lucas meeting a new character and how they get along with each other. See ya!**

 **P.S. Pok** **émon will be able to learn six moves instead of four as it allows for more exciting and unpredictable battles. Moves in the fifth and sixth slot will be marked with a +.**

 **Lucas' Team:**

 **Snorunt (Lv. 8) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team**


	3. New Places, New Faces!

**A/N - Oh my God, I'm back again! Are you liking my musical references? A Sunday evening treat for you all because I wanted to upload this earlier. Last chapter, Lucas and Tendou battled, with the former pulling out the win. This chapter introduces a new face and shows their chemistry with Lucas. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas' deep sleep was interrupted by a harsh beeping sound and a bright light. He opened his eyes to see his mother opening the curtains, he then looked at his alarm clock, the source of the harsh beeping sound, Lucas turned off the alarm and noticed that it was midday. He then jolted up and out of his bed, and hastily started getting changed. He rushed over to his wardrobe and threw open the door. He then found his usual light blue Poké Ball emblazoned T-shirt and threw it on. He then put on a pair of light blue baggy trousers and took Snorunt's Poké Ball off the bedside table. He then rushed out of his room and to the stairs. He stopped before running down them, remembering the scolding he got the day before. He didn't have an excuse this time. Lucas then calmly walked down the stairs to the living room where his mother was waiting at the front door.

"Well, are you going to introduce me to your new Pokémon, Lucas?" his mother asked expectantly.

"Yeah, sure!" Lucas replied enthusiastically. "Come on out, Snorunt!" He shouted, throwing the Poké Ball in the air. As the Poké Ball reached its apex, it popped open letting out a blue light that poured onto the floor. Once the light had dissipated, Snorunt was standing there looking around at its new environment.

"Oh. My. God!" his mother exclaimed. "It's... It's so CUTE!" she shouted, almost deafening Lucas. Upon hearing the compliment, Snorunt smiled and started bouncing around in happiness.

"Before you go Lucas, I wanted to give you these." she said, drawing Lucas' attention away from Snorunt's happy dance. She then handed him a box and a backpack. Lucas opened the box to find a pair of turquoise fingerless gloves. Upon taking them out of the box he spotted something else in there as well.

"Woah, an X-Transceiver!" he said in surprise. "Thanks, Mum" he continued as he put on his new gloves, strapped the X-Transceiver to his right wrist and he put on the backpack.

"You're welcome, sweetie." she said, smiling at her son, all ready to go on an adventure. Lucas then put his sneakers on, withdrew Snorunt and opened the front door.

"Don't forget to call!" his mother shouted after him as he walked down the street.

"I won't!" he shouted back.

Once Lucas had made it to the edge of town, he stopped and looked ahead to the straight dirt road that had a vast expanse of grass on either side that was Route 1. He took a deep breath of fresh air. He took Snorunt's Poké Ball off his belt and looked at it in his hand.

"Snorunt, I choose you!" he exclaimed, throwing the Poké Ball backhandedly, adding spin and curve to the throw so it would come right back into his hand, and as the Poké Ball reached the curving point, it popped open revealing Snorunt.

"Sno! Sno!" it cheered upon landing on the ground.

"Look ahead Snorunt" Lucas directed the Pokémon. It turned to face the direction in which Lucas was pointing. "That's Route 1" he continued.

"Sno?" it questioned.

"This is gonna be the first step of the rest of our lives." Lucas told it. "How about we take it together?" he proposed

"Sno!" it replied happily.

"3, 2, 1, Let's go!" Lucas yelled as he and Snorunt walked past the edge of town and on to Route 1.

As Lucas and Snorunt walked along the grassy Route 1, they took in the sounds of nature, Pokémon cries Lucas didn't recognise and sometimes they even saw the Pokémon. None of the Pokémon they saw really caught Lucas' fancy so they reached Acacia City without much trouble. They stood on the edge of the city for a while, in awe of some of the skyscrapers. They then saw a green haired girl walking down the street.

"Excuse me!" Lucas said trying to get her attention. She turned to face them. She was tanned, had vibrant green eyes and had her long green hair in a ponytail tied up with a yellow ribbon in a bow. She was wearing a yellow summer dress with a vibrant floral pattern. She also wore brown adventuring boots that looked like they were for practicality rather than fashion and had a sizeable green backpack on her back.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Do you know where the Pokémon Center is?" Lucas asked

"Actually, I was just heading there. Why don't you come with?" she offered

"Sure" Lucas accepted since he had no better option. As they walked through the bustling streets of Acacia City, the girl asked

"So, what's your name?"

"I'm Lucas Young, from Enevca Town. And this is my partner Snorunt." Lucas answered, introducing himself and Snorunt.

"Sno!" Snorunt added.

"Nice to meet you." the girl replied.

"What's yours?" Lucas asked back.

"I'm Summer Mays from the Hoenn region." she said. "And this is my partner, Eevee." she continued as she threw a Poké Ball up in the air. The Poké Ball popped open and in a flash of blue light a quadrupedal light brown creature with pointed ears, a bushy collar of white fur and a bushy tail with a white tip was revealed.

"Ee… Vee!" it cheered as it landed.

"Nice to meet you, too" Lucas returned.

Once the introductions had finished, they had reached a building with a big red roof and a big letter 'P' above the doors. They had reached the Pokémon Center. They walked through the automatic doors and was greeted with a wave from a nurse with pink hair in twintails and in a pink dress with a big white ribbon tied around the waist with a bow at the back.

"Good evening, and welcome to the Pokémon Center!" she greeted with a smile.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Summer and Lucas said in unison.

"I'd like to register for the Adina League." Lucas told her.

"Alright, just hand me your PokéDex for a moment." she instructed. Lucas handed over his PokéDex to Nurse Joy, who returned it moments later.

"There you go, all done." she told him.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." he replied. "Is it okay if we have dinner while you heal our Pokémon?" Lucas asked

"Of course it is. Follow me." Nurse Joy replied. Lucas and Summer followed Nurse Joy to the restaurant area, sat at a table and gave Nurse Joy their Poké Balls. They then looked at the menus while Nurse Joy left to go heal their Pokémon.

After they had ordered, they decided to get to know each other a little better while they were waiting for their food.

"So, what made you want to go on your journey, Lucas?" Summer asked inquisitively.

"I used to repeatedly watch all the Pokémon League battles, to take bits of strategy with me and combine them with my own. And well, after the new age limit came in when Team Grim killed the Kalos Elite Four, I was a bit bummed out that I had to wait for even longer to get my first Pokémon and almost gave up."

"Yeah, I heard about that age raise. That must have been awful for the people of Kalos..." she said sadly. "So, then what happened?" she continued questioning him.

"Well, this new trainer called Gray Plain came onto the scene and I was just enraptured by her battling prowess. Following her Gym battles really got me back in the spirit for battle and adventure. She was a really good Trainer, too. I wonder if I'll ever battle her…" he finished. By that time, the food had come so they ate while Lucas questioned Summer about her reason for her journey.

"So, how about you, Summer?" Lucas asked.

"Well, I used to travel through Hoenn competing in Pokémon Contests. I even got to the Grand Festival!" she exclaimed proudly between bites. "They were fun, but I think I just want to try plain old travelling in a new region I've never heard of before." she finished.

"You got to the Grand Festival?" Lucas asked with wide eyes. "Woah, you must be strong!"

"Well, I don't want to brag, but I'd like to think so. How about a battle in the morning?" she proposed.

"Hell, yeah!" Lucas shouted in agreement.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just 'cause you're a rookie." Summer said threateningly with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Lucas retaliated, becoming even more hyped through the fighting words. They got up from the table and went to the second level of the Pokémon Center and went to their rooms that they had booked for the night. After they had got changed into their pyjamas, they had both climbed into their beds and got a good night's sleep in preparation for their upcoming battle.

 **A/N - Boy, I'm really spoiling you with these long chapters. I did not expect a full-blown multi-chapter fanfiction to be so tough to write. I love it when I get going though, so it's not that bad. We learned about Summer's reason for coming to the Adina region and that she used to compete in contests back in Hoenn. She also seems to get along well with Lucas and they have a battle next chapter. There's also gonna be a capture next episode, but for who? Find out next time as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team:**

 **Snorunt (Lv. 8) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team**


	4. A Hot New Capture!

**A/N - Another week, another chapter. This chapter, one of our heroes gets a new Pokémon while on their way to the first Gym. But whose capture is it? Hope you enjoy!**

 **WyldClaw - Thank you for your reviews. I tried to make her likeable and it like I did. :)**

"Snorunt, finish this with Powder Snow!" Lucas yelled.

"SNOOO!" the Pokémon yelled as it sent out a flurry of snow from its mouth.

"Eevee, Endure!" Summer countered. Eevee then began to glow a deep red as the Powder Snow hit it, causing to be completely covered. Once the snow had cleared, Eevee was still standing, although it looked to be on its last legs.

"What?!" Lucas cried, eyes wide with shock.

"Now wrap this up with Shadow Ball!" Summer yelled, taking advantage of Lucas' shock. Eevee then began gathering dark energy at its mouth and then formed it into a purple sphere with a black center. It then shot the sphere straight at Snorunt, who became more panicked the closer it got. The sphere hit Snorunt dead on causing it to tumble to Lucas' feet. Its eyes had turned to swirls, signalling that it had fainted

"Snorunt, no!" Lucas yelled out, finally coming to his senses and feeling ashamed that he lost focus during a battle.

"Snorunt, return." Lucas said, withdrawing Snorunt.

"Wow, you really gave me a run for my money there, Lucas." Summer said, seeing the expression on Lucas' face and trying to cheer him up.

"Thanks, Summer." he said, somewhat dejectedly. He then perked up.

"Hey, I don't suppose you want to travel with me, do you?" he asked. "I bet I could learn a lot by travelling with a strong trainer like you." he continued.

"Yeah, sure." Summer accepted. "It's always nice to have company on the road, you know?" she continued "So, where to next, Lucas?" she asked.

"Sugi City Gym, so I can get my first Gym Badge!" he answered enthusiastically, seemingly unperturbed by the loss he had suffered not five minutes earlier.

They then left the Pokémon Center after healing their Pokémon and headed north for Route 2. Route 2 was completely made up of grass, the main path being made of shorter grass and with a few clearings in the tall grass that decorated the route. On Route 2, Lucas wanted to explore to find a new Pokémon for his upcoming Gym battle. As they wandered through the tall grass, looking for Pokémon, Lucas had almost given up for the day, when suddenly he heard a high pitched

"QUIIILL!"

"Woah, that Pokémon sounds strong!" he remarked and they set off looking for the source of the noise. As they searched, they came across a clearing in the grass where a small, bipedal creature that had a round head with a long, thin snout and bluish fur on the top of its body with four red spots and a milky colour on the underside was standing. It also had two small arms and two single-clawed feet. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the Pokémon.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon." the female voice said, bringing up an image of the creature. "Cyndaquil protects itself by bringing by flaring up the flames it produces on it back." it continued. "The flames are vigorous if the Pokémon is angry; however, if it is tired, the flames sputter fitfully with incomplete combustion." it finished.

"I've never seen that Pokémon before..." said Summer in awe at her new discovery.

"Hey, buddy." Lucas said softly, cautiously approaching the Pokémon. "Do you wanna battle with me?" he asked.

"Cynda!" the Cyndaquil replied happily, clearly excited for a new opponent.

"Alright, follow me!" Summer said, not wanting to cause any permanent damage to the environment around them or be interrupted by any other wild Pokémon. As Summer lead the group back the way they came, Lucas' face displayed a great deal of determination. The group then reached the safety of the main path of Route 2 and set up a makeshift battlefield.

"I'll be the ref for this battle!" Summer shouted, getting a thumbs up from Lucas.

"You're up, Snorunt!" Lucas shouted, throwing the Poké Ball with his now signature backhand and curve throw.

"Sno… runt!" the Pokémon said as it landed on the ground.

"Alright, battle begin!" Summer shouted.

"Powder Snow, let's go!" Lucas yelled. Snorunt opened its mouth and sent out an ice-blue flurry of snow towards Cyndaquil. As the flurry approached, Cyndaquil took a deep breath and exhaled a thick black smoke throwing off Snorunt's aim. Cyndaquil then disappeared in the smoke, making Lucas worry about when it would come out. As it came out, its right foot started to glow white as it jumped.

"Quick, Double Team!" Lucas yelled, causing Snorunt to create multiple clones of itself. Cyndaquil then came down with its white right foot and smashed into one of the clones causing it to disappear, it's left foot then began glowing the same white colour and it aimed for one of the Snorunt but hit another clone.

"Wow, cool Double Kick!" Summer cried.

"Now, use Leer!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt's eyes then turned red and it made a creepy face at Cyndaquil, causing a blue ring of energy to surround the Pokémon and then it disappeared. The Cyndaquil then started charging at Snorunt. As it got close, Lucas yelled

"Powder Snow, full power!" As Snorunt gathered the energy to release the attack, instead of the usual flurry, it blew out more snow from its mouth and it was accompanied by a wind with blue powder. The attack then hit Cyndaquil at close range sending it back to its side of the field. It was struggling to get back up.

"Go, Poké Ball!" Lucas yelled as he threw a Poké Ball at Cyndaquil. The ball hit it on the head, sucking it into the device. It started wobbling. Once. Then twice. A third wobble. It clicked. Lucas then ran over to the Poké Ball and held it aloft.

"Alright, I caught… a Cyndaquil!" he yelled, striking a pose.

"Nice job, Lucas!" Summer complimented. "What was that move that Snorunt used?" she asked. He took out his PokéDex and searched for Snorunt's moves.

"Frost Breath," it said. "The user blows its cold breath on the target and is always a critical hit." it finished.

"Why don't you check Cyndaquil's moves, too?" she suggested. Lucas then took Cyndaquil's Poké Ball and threw it up in the air.

"Cyndaquil, come on out!" he yelled.

"Cynda!" it yelled after being released from the Poké Ball. Lucas then looked for its moveset.

"Cyndaquil's current moves are: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, and Double Kick." the PokéDex informed them.

"I can't wait to battle with you." Lucas said to Cyndaquil.

"But, first," Summer chimed in. "we should set up camp for the night since it's getting late." she continued.

"Alright, return!" he said withdrawing the Pokémon to their Poké Balls.

 **A/N - That's right! It was Lucas who caught a Pokémon. And it was a Cyndaquil with Double Kick, next chapter will focus mainly on training the Pokémon so he stands a chance against the first Gym. Will they get some new skills? Find out next time, as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 9) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 9) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) -** **Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**


	5. Training Day!

**A/N - Announcement: Since a lot of people are going back to school around now, I will be doing a weekend of uploads. That means today (Thursday), tomorrow (Friday), Saturday and Sunday will have two uploads each, so stay tuned.**

 **This is mainly going to be an upgrade filler chapter, so not much is actually gonna happen in this chapter, except maybe a new move or two being learned. Hope you enjoy!**

 **WyldClaw - Thank you for your consistent reviews :). I tried my best in implementing a new move and it looks like you enjoyed it.**

"Cyndaquil, use Double Kick on that boulder!" Lucas commanded, pointing to a small boulder. Cyndaquil then ran at the boulder its left foot beginning to glow white with power, as it reached the boulder, it jumped to get a better hit and struck it with its glowing foot causing it to crack. Cyndaquil then landed on the ground and jumped up again, this time with its right foot glowing white and struck the boulder again, this time causing it to shatter and send small rock debris across the training area that Lucas had set up.

"Good job, Cyndaquil! That was great!" cheered Lucas and Summer.

"Cynda!" it shouted back, thanking them for the praise and feeling proud of itself.

"Now, use Tackle on that tree!" Lucas shouted, pointing to a nearby tree. Cyndaquil then ran full pelt at the tree with its head bent forward and then slammed into the tree, causing it to shake and lose a few leaves. Cyndaquil then felt a rush of power course through its small body and started to shoot out flames from the red spots on is back and began shooting little fire pellets from its mouth into the air.

"Woah, Cyndaquil!" Lucas cheered. "You learnt Ember! Good job!" he finished.

"Yeah! You'll be ready for your Gym Battle in no time!" Summer chimed in.

"Alright, Cyndaquil, use Ember on that rock!" Lucas commanded, pointing to the rock.

"Cynda!" it roared, as it flared up the flames on its back and shot the fire pellets from its mouth straight at the rock. The pellets then hit the rock, it too shattering from the force of the impact.

"Good going, Cyndaquil!" Lucas praised. "That's enough training for you today." he said.

"Lunch is ready!" Summer called as he was about to return Cyndaquil to is Poké Ball.

"And after lunch, it's your turn Snorunt!" Lucas said, turning to Snorunt.

"Sno, Sno!" it cheered.

Lucas and his Pokémon made their way over to the table where Summer was putting the bowls of soup onto the foldable table that she had packed for the journey. She then put three bowls of Pokémon food on the grass where Eevee, Cyndaquil and Snorunt were now sat.

"Dig in!" Summer shouted, then proceeding to chow down on the food that she had made, Lucas and the Pokémon doing the same.

"This is really good!" Lucas said between mouthfuls.

"Aww, thanks, Rookie." Summer said as she blushed, she then went straight back to eating hoping Lucas wouldn't notice. Once everyone had finished their food, they had decided to take a short rest for about an hour before going back to training.

 **00**

"Alright, Snorunt! You ready to train?" Lucas asked, pumped up once more.

"Snoooo!" it shouted back, clearly ready for a tough training session.

"Okay! Use Frost Breath!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt then drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current, towards a makeshift training dummy that Summer had built after seeing the damage that Cyndaquil had done to some of the environment. The attack hit the dummy with such force that it fell on its side and was covered with frost.

"Brrr! Good job on that Frost Breath, Snorunt!" Summer praised while Lucas ran over and set the dummy upright again.

"Alright, now use Double Team to surround it and then use Powder Snow!" Lucas commanded after running back to his original position. Snorunt then created a dozen clones of itself and they all ran towards the dummy. They then formed a circle around it and sent out a flurry of snow with an icy blue-ish tint from its mouth at the dummy. The attack hit the dummy with enough force to send it flying into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"That's the way, Snorunt!" Lucas praised as he was returning the dummy to its original position. "Okay, Powder Snow, one more time!" he commanded.

"SNOOO!" it yelled, feeling the same surge of power that Cyndaquil had felt earlier. Snorunt then started to glow an icy blue and opened its mouth and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth and shot them at the dummy. CRASH! The impact had caused a cloud of dust to form. When the dust cleared, the dummy was lying there with pieces strewn across the clearing.

"No way! Snorunt used Ice Shard!" Summer cried.

"Ice Shard?!" Lucas cried. "Nice work, buddy!" Lucas finished, praising Snorunt.

"Sno!" Snorunt cheered. Lucas then noticed a sizeable rock nearby.

"Snorunt, use Ice Shard on that rock!" he commanded, pointing to the rock. Snorunt then started glowing an icy blue, formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth and fired them at the rock. The shards zoomed into the rock shattering it.

"Snoo!" Snorunt cheered, bouncing up and down, happy that it had learned a new move.

"Good work today, you two." Lucas said to his Pokémon before returning them to their Poké Balls. He then turned to Summer and gave her a look of confidence.

"What's that look on your face?" she asked.

"It's confidence" Lucas replied. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna challenge the Sugi City Gym and I'm gonna WIN!" he finished, punching the air.

"Good luck… Rookie." she said, with a playful smile on her face.

 **A/N - And that ladies, gentlemen and whatever you may identify as, was my first upgrade filler chapter. Not too bad, right? Any constructive criticism is welcome as it will help me become a better writer and give you better chapters and/or stories. So, Cyndaquil and Snorunt levelled up and each learnt a new move, my levelling system is anytime Lucas Co. win a battle, the participating Pokémon will gain a level until Level 20, where it will increase to two levels a win and some training sessions, like this one, will level up a Pokémon. This should make it easier to keep track of when Pokémon should evolve and so on. I'll expand on my evolution system when a Pokémon evolves in a later chapter. Next chapter, Lucas arrives at Sugi City, itching for a Gym Battle and with questions on his mind. What type is it? Did the training session help? This battle will be tougher than he thought, but can he still pull out the win? Find out next time, as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 10) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 10) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, Ember**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) -** **Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, Hyper Voice**


	6. Battle at the Sugi City Gym!

**Chapter 6 - A Challenger Approaches! Battle at the Sugi City Gym!**

 **A/N - That's right, it's time for Lucas' first Gym Battle! I don't really have much to say here this time. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas and Summer stood on a hill overlooking Sugi City and its modest buildings in the early morning sunlight, Lucas being the most excited due to his upcoming Gym Battle. He then left Summer in the dust, sprinting down the hill as fast as he could, eager to battle the Gym Leader.

"Hey Rookie, wait up!" Summer called after him as she too sprinted down the hill towards him. He was at the edge of the city realising he had no idea which way to go when Summer finally caught up to him out of breath.

"What made you stop?" she asked in between breaths.

"I, uh, I realised that I have no idea which way leads to the Gym…." he said rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I know!" exclaimed Summer, a light bulb turning on in her head. "Let's search for the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy should know where it is." she explained.

They had been searching for hours until finally turning down a street and saw the iconic orange roof and a giant letter 'P' above a building's doors. They ran towards it, coming to a screeching halt before crashing into the doors. They then walked in and saw a completely identical Nurse Joy to the one that they had seen in Acacia City.

"Nurse Joy?!" Lucas questioned. "But weren't you at the Acacia City Pokémon Center?" he asked with a confused look on his face

"Ah, no." Nurse Joy replied. "You see, many people make that mistake but all the Nurse Joys in the Adina region are actually identical sisters." she explained, pulling out a picture frame with a family photo of all the Nurse Joys and putting it on the counter.

"Woah, freaky…." Lucas murmured to himself.

"Hey, Nurse Joy?" Summer asked, turning Nurse Joy's attention to her. "Can you give us directions to the Sugi City Gym after healing our Pokémon?" she inquired.

"Of course." Nurse Joy replied.

 **00**

They had arrived at the Gym following Nurse Joy's directions and were looking up at the wide building with a black roof and a golden symbol that was a semi-circle at the top, a trapezium with a curved and elongated to the left top, and a small circle in the middle with awe.

"So this is what Gyms in the Adina region look like…." Summer denoted.

"The Gyms in Hoenn don't look like this?" Lucas questioned.

"Oh no, they look totally different to this. They're still as tough as any region's Gyms though." she answered.

As they walked in, they saw that the walls had been painted jet black and had a grey coloured symbol that had the same design as the one outside. In the middle of the room, there was a battlefield that was ten-foot from end to end and was outlined with white paint. It also had two white lines from each side going to the middle to create a 2D Poké Ball shape and at each end, there was a rectangle of space also outlined with white paint. To the right side of the battlefield there was a grey podium that overlooked it, and to the left of the battlefield were bleachers where spectators could sit and watch the battle unfold. As Summer made her way over to those bleachers and sat down, a voice came from the shadows.

"Greetings challenger." the voice said as a figure stepped out to reveal a man who made his way to his Trainer box. The man had jet black hair that had a fringe that covered one of his grey eyes; he was wearing a black sweater that was emblazoned with a crescent moon, black skinny jeans and black platform boots. "I am Seph, a master of Dark types." the man, now known as Seph, introduced as another man who was dressed in a black and white striped shirt, black trousers and black formal shoes carrying two flags, one red, one green made his way onto the grey podium.

"I'm Lucas Young from Enevca Town" Lucas replied."

"I've had an affinity with Dark types all my life. That makes you no match for me." he continued. The referee then turned to Lucas and asked

"How many Pokémon are currently in your party?"

"I've got two Pokémon!" Lucas answered proudly.

"This will be a two versus two battle between Lucas of Enevca Town and Seph, with only the challenger being allowed substitutions. The battle will be over when both Pokémon on either side are unable to battle." the referee explained. "Reveal your Pokémon!" he shouted.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas shouted as he threw Snorunt's Poké Ball with his backhand-curve throw.

"Snooo!" it yelled as it landed on the battlefield, clearly eager for battle.

"Murkrow, it's time to darken their day!" Seph shouted as he threw out a Poké Ball. The device then popped open, a bright blue light streaming out of it. Once the light had dissipated, it revealed an avian creature with black feathers. It had semi-circular red eyes with white sclerae and pupils and a spiked collar of feathers around its neck. It also had a crooked yellow beak and three tufts of feathers on its head, the middle being the largest, its tail was made up of shaggy feathers and a thin red band at the base of the tail. Its yellow feet had four toes, three facing forwards and one backwards.

"Krow, krow!" it cawed threateningly at Snorunt. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the Pokémon.

"Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon." the female voice said bringing up an image of the creature. "Seen as a symbol of bad luck, it's generally disliked." it continued. "However, it gives presents - objects that shine or sparkle - to Trainers it's close to." it finished.

"This battle will be between Snorunt and Murkrow." the ref said, holding up the coloured flags. "Begin!" he shouted, swinging them down.

"Murkrow, use Astonish!" Seph commanded, Murkrow then made a frightening face, sticking its tongue out at Snorunt and causing shadows to appear around its body and face, scaring Snorunt who tried to tuck into his cloak.

"Follow up with Peck!" Seph yelled, Murkrow then started flying over to Snorunt as its beak started glowing white.

"Counter with Ice Shard!" Lucas commanded, Snorunt then started glowing an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at his mouth and shot them at the rapidly approaching Murkrow. The shards reached Murkrow with incredible speed and collided with it causing it to nose dive to the ground.

"Assurance, now!" Seph shouted, Murkrow pulling out from its nosedive then flew over to Snorunt, its wings glowing purple and slammed into it causing Snorunt to tumble into Lucas.

"Frost Breath, let's go!" Lucas shouted. Snorunt got up and drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current towards Murkrow, who was still flying in the air. The attack hit Murkrow and froze over one of its wings and it fell into another nose dive, but it couldn't pull out of this one. It crashed into the ground with a thud, sending up a dust cloud.

"Murkrow!" Seph yelled in concern. The dust cleared to reveal Murkrow standing but shaking.

"Wrap this up with Powder Snow!" Lucas yelled. Snorunt fired a flurry of snow with an icy blue-ish tint from its mouth at Murkrow.

"Fly through it and use Peck!" Seph countered. Murkrow then ran and jumped into flight and headed straight for the Powder Snow with its beak glowing white. It was making it.

"Full power Snorunt!" Lucas hollered. Snorunt took a deep breath and exhaled hard powering up the attack. Murkrow was sent flying towards Seph and crashed into the wall behind him and onto the ground, its eyes turned to swirls.

"Murkrow is unable to battle! The winners of this battle are Lucas and Snorunt!" the ref announced holding up the green flag.

"Nice going Rookie!" Summer cheered from the bleachers.

"Good job Murkrow, return." Seph said, returning the Pokémon. He then looked up at Lucas. "Hah! I'm just getting started!" he yelled with a smirk on his face. "Purrloin, it's your turn!" he called throwing another Poké Ball. The creature that came out was quadrupedal but standing on its hind legs and was primarily purple in colour and feline in appearance. Its head had tufted fur on the back of its pointed ears which were pink from the front. There were tapered violet markings above its green eyes and it had a diminutive black nose on its cream coloured muzzle with small cream markings above each eye. Its neck, shoulders, back, and hind paws were also cream coloured and the tip of its long purple tail had a curved, vaguely scythe-like extension.

"Purr…." it whispered as it landed. Lucas took out his PokéDex again and scanned it.

"Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon" it stated, pulling up an image. "Purrloin is a mischievous Pokémon that likes to steal from people. It will put on a cute act in order to get its victims to let their guard down." it said. "However, it is often forgiven even if it is caught stealing due to its charms." it continued. "When angered, it fights back with its claws." it finished.

"Snorunt, you still good to go?" Lucas asked.

"Sno!" it replied with determination.

"Double Team, let's go!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt proceeded to make multiple clones of itself appear.

"Get in close and use Sand Attack on all of them!" Seph called. Purrloin started running towards the Snorunt and as it got close enough, Lucas yelled

"Surround it and use Leer!" the Snorunt formed a circle around the Purrloin who panicked at being surrounded and was left unable to use the attack. All the Snorunt then made a sinister face at Purrloin, a deep blue ring of energy formed around it and then dissipated along with the clones.

"Use Scratch!" Seph yelled. Purrloin's claws then grew in length and it lunged for Snorunt sending it tumbling to Lucas' feet.

"Follow up with Assist!" Seph shouted. Purrloin was covered in black energy and its tail started glowing a bright purple with an Assurance attack, it ran up to Snorunt and slammed its tail into the Pokémon as it was getting up, sending up another dust cloud. Once the dust had cleared, it revealed Snorunt at Lucas' feet with its eyes now swirls.

"Snorunt is unable to battle! The winners of this battle are Seph and Purrloin!" the ref announced holding up the red flag.

"Snorunt no!" Lucas cried. "Snorunt, return!" he said, the red beam absorbing Snorunt. "You did exactly what I needed." he said looking at the Poké Ball.

"Cyndaquil, fire up!" he yelled, throwing the Poké Ball.

"Cynda… QUILLL!" it roared shooting flames from its back.

"You can win this Rookie!" Summer cheered. Lucas gave her a thumbs up.

"Purrloin, you ready to win?" Seph asked his Pokémon.

"Purr…" it whispered back.

"Ember, let's go!" Lucas yelled, throwing his right arm to the side. Cyndaquil flared up the flames on its back and shot fire pellets at Purrloin.

"Dodge it!" Seph shouted as the pellets reached Purrloin. It jumped up to five feet in the air and they flew underneath its feet uselessly. As it was falling back down, Lucas yelled

"Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!" Cyndaquil opened its mouth and released a cloud of thick, black smoke that covered the battlefield. "Run into the cloud and use Double Kick" Lucas whispered. Cyndaquil ran into the smoke, its left foot glowing white with power.

"Cyn… da!" it yelled as Purrloin shot out of the cloud and rolled along the ground.

"Purrrr" it growled as it stood up shakily.

"Let's finish this with Assist!" Seph commanded. Purrloin was surrounded by black energy and its tail glowed purple again as it ran towards Cyndaquil.

"Jump to dodge, then use Double Kick!" Lucas countered. As Purrloin swung its tail, Cyndaquil jumped and cracked Purrloin in the face with its white left foot. When it landed, it used the white right foot to kick Purrloin in the stomach sending it rolling across the floor to Seph's feet. This time, it was still.

"Purrloin is unable to battle! That means the winners of this Gym Battle are Lucas and Cyndaquil!" the ref announced, holding up the green flag again.

"Purrloin, return. You deserve a long rest." Seph praised as he returned the Pokémon. "I lost. I guess you were the one who was no match for me, Lucas." Seph said, now addressing Lucas. "Here, you deserve this." he said as he pulled out a metal object and a compact rectangular object. "This is the Moon Badge and a Badge Case to put it in." he said handing them over to Lucas. The badge was in the shape of a crescent moon, had a black outline and a grey colouring. The Badge Case was blue on the outside with a Gym Symbol in the center and had spaces for eight badges inside.

"Alright! I just won… the Moon Badge!" Lucas cheered holding it aloft before putting it in the Badge Case.

"Well done, Rookie. I knew you could do it." Summer praised, now joining him.

"Here, take this as well." Seph said to Lucas handing him a teal oval stone that had an eight-pointed shape inside. "Your Snorunt, its a female. That Dawn Stone will allow it to evolve into a Froslass." he explained.

"Do you know where the next Gym is?" Summer asked.

"Sure do." replied Seph. "It's in Tembu City, slightly northwest of here."

"Thank you." Lucas and Summer said simultaneously.

"Time to go win my second badge!" Lucas cheered enthusiastically while Summer chuckled and shook her head at his enthusiasm.

 **A/N - Holy shit, that was a monster to write! So, the Gym was a Dark type and Lucas' training helped him pull out the win. Now, though, it's onwards to Tembu City where Lucas is hoping to win his second Gym Badge, as the journey continues….**

 **What do you think of my OC's so far? Any improvements I could make?**

 **How are my battles in terms of description and pace?**

 **Did you guess the Gym's type correctly? Don't lie.**

 **What type do you think Tembu City Gym is going to be?**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 11) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) -** **Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**


	7. Barking Up the Wrong Tree!

**A/N - A new chapter and the start of a new arc. Our heroes have set off towards Tembu City and that's where this chapter picks up. Hope you enjoy!**

 **WyldClaw - Thank you very much! I try my best to capture the action of the anime in my battles and I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

As they made their way through the mostly dirt path and the occasional spot of tall grass that was Route 3, Lucas and Summer were having a discussion what type of Pokémon they'd like to train.

"Back in Hoenn, I was a multi-type Trainer." Summer said. "And it was really fun because it meant that I could always surprise the judges and my opponents in the Contests," she continued "But this time, I've set myself a challenge." she finished.

"Yeah? What's the challenge?" Lucas asked.

"I'm only gonna train grass type Pokémon!" she answered.

"But isn't your Eevee a normal type?" he inquired with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, for now." she answered, somewhat mysteriously. "So, how about you Rookie?"

"I'm gonna be a multi-type Trainer!" he answered enthusiastically. "I wanna learn the ins and outs of each type."

Their conversation was cut short by what sounded like yaps of a dog.

"Pup, pup! Pup!"

"What was that?" they asked themselves simultaneously as they set off in search of the noise. As they got closer, the yaps were becoming more piercing.

"PUP, PUP! PUP PUP!"

They had found the source of the noise. It was a light brown, canine creature that had oval brown eyes, a red nose and its face was covered by an abundance of cream fur. It had large pointed ears with a tuft of fur near the base of both, its fur puffed out above its paws which had three toes each and a blue paw pad and its back had a spiky dark blue blaze. It also had a short and tufty tail. And it was stuck up a tree.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Summer asked, prompting Lucas to bring up his PokéDex.

"Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon." the now familiar female voice said, pulling up an image of the Pokémon. "Its facial fur can be used for radar and provides Lillipup with information about its surroundings." it continued. "It is an intelligent and courageous Pokémon capable of judging its opponent's strength." it finished.

"What's it doing in a tree?" Lucas asked himself.

"Maybe another Pokémon scared it up there…" Summer proposed. "I know! Eevee, it's your turn!" she shouted throwing a Poké Ball up in the air. It popped open and poured out a blue light that once dissipated revealed Eevee.

"Ee… Vee!" it cheered as it landed.

"Use Hyper Voice to shake the tree!" she commanded. Eevee opened its mouth and screamed as loud as it could, creating a blue wave of energy that shook the tree back and forth, side to side.

"PUUUP!" Lillipup screamed as it went with the tree.

"Shoot, it didn't work…" Summer sighed.

"Try using Shadow Ball to break the tree." Lucas suggested.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" she commanded, trying Lucas' idea. Eevee then began gathering dark energy at its mouth and then formed it into a purple sphere with a black center. It then shot the sphere straight at the tree. The sphere crashed into the trunk of the tree to no avail. The tree stood just as strong as ever.

"Aim it at the top of the trunk!" Summer commanded. Eevee then formed the sphere again and sent it flying towards the top of the tree trunk. The tree shook a little with the impact, but it wasn't enough to get Lillipup out of its predicament.

"Okay, this clearly isn't working." stated Lucas. "Cyndaquil, fire up!" he yelled, throwing the Poké Ball with his signature throw.

"QUIILL!" Cyndaquil roared as it flared up the flames on its back after the blue light had dissipated.

"Cyndaquil, jump and use Double Kick on the branches!" Lucas commanded.

"CYNDA!" it yelled as its left foot glowed white and it jumped to reach the branches but it only got to the halfway point of the trunk before it started plummeting back down to the ground.

"Use the momentum as a springboard!" Lucas shouted.

As it was getting closer and closer to the ground, it corrected itself and took a jumping posture. It landed with bent knees and a glowing right foot and shot up further than before. It managed to reach just below the target branch.

"Cyndaa…" it sighed sadly, head bowed in disappointment.

"Don't worry Cyndaquil" Lucas comforted. "We'll work on those jumps and be better than ever before!" he cheered.

"Cynda!" it cheered, seemingly satisfied.

"PUP PUP! PUUP!" the Lillipup yapped loudly, still terrified of the height that it was at.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas yelled, throwing another Poké Ball.

"Sno!" Snorunt cheered as it emerged from the blue light.

"Use Frost Breath to blow the tree branches!" he commanded. Snorunt then drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current towards the branches of the tree. The tree shook and swayed from side to side, the branches bending and creaking. But Lillipup was holding on tighter than ever.

"I've got it!" shouted Summer, her eyes lighting up. "What if Eevee uses Shadow Ball and Snorunt uses Ice Shard to freeze it so it'll make a floating platform?" she explained.

"Hey, that could work." Lucas pondered.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball in the air towards Lillipup!" she commanded. Eevee then formed the purple sphere and shot it with minimal power towards Lillipup.

"Now use Ice Shard to freeze it!" Lucas commanded Snorunt. Snorunt started glowing an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth. The shards flew towards the Shadow Ball and on impact caused it to freeze over and float still.

"Lillipup, can you jump onto it?!" Lucas called up to the Pokémon. Lillipup then ran towards the platform and jumped from the tree and onto the ice platform. As it landed, it slid over to the edge and fell off.

"Cyndaquil jump and catch it!" Lucas shouted. Cyndaquil then made a massive jump and caught the Lillipup in mid-air and was falling back down. "Snorunt, use Powder Snow and Frost Breath to create a soft landing!" he commanded. Snorunt then drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had an icy-blue tint with pieces of frost and snow inside the air current towards the ground where Cyndaquil and Lillipup were falling towards.

"That's it! Keep going!" he encouraged.

"SNOOOO!" Snorunt yelled as he expelled even more air and snow, creating a good-sized pile. Cyndaquil and Lillipup landed softly in the snow with no injuries.

"Pup, Pup!" it yapped happily, licking Lucas and Summer's faces in appreciation before taking off into the tall grass.

"Bye! Be more careful next time!" they called to an empty route, but they were pretty sure that it heard them.

"Onwards! To Tembu City!" Lucas cheered.

"Yes, onwards…" Summer agreed.

 **A/N - This was my first completely filler chapter and it was actually quite fun to write. It's very slightly annoying though, as I have to figure out how to not move the plot completely, but I hope I did pretty well. Next chapter is a capture chapter, but what Pokémon is it going to be? And whose? Find out next time as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 11) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) -** **Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**


	8. Oh Dear, Oh Deer, Oh Deerling!

**A/N -** **Yes, another capture chapter. But whose capture is it going to be? Read on and find out….**

After making it about halfway through Route 3, Lucas and Summer had stopped for lunch and were happily enjoying their lunch when, suddenly, Lucas heard a rustling in the spot of tall grass that was nearby.

"Did you hear that?" Lucas asked Summer.

"No, what was it?" Summer asked back, before there was another rustle. With that rustle, a fawn-like creature appeared. The top part of its body was green and had a few yellow spots on the side. It had a yellow patterned rim and a peach underside. It sported a yellow floral tuft on its head and a similar yellow colouration on the insides of its tapering ears. Its hooves were black and its green tail was small.

"Woah…." Lucas muttered.

"What? Who's that Pokémon? Is it rare or something?" Summer inquired. Lucas' answer was just to pull out his PokéDex.

"Deerling, the Season Pokémon: Summer Form." it said, bringing up an image. "It can change appearance with the changing of the seasons. It moves in herds as it is timid around humans." it continued. "If it senses animosity, it hides in tall grass." it finished.

"Hey, it's a grass type." Lucas whispered to Summer. "It's also in its Summer Form. You gonna catch it?"

"Yeah, but maybe we should establish a friendship first?" Summer whispered back. "We don't wanna scare it off." she continued. "Didn't the PokéDex say it moved in herds?" she asked.

"Maybe it got separated…" Lucas proposed. "We should give it some food to show that we're friendly." he said, taking a piece of a sandwich that he had bought in Sugi City. Summer took it from him and cautiously made her way to the Deerling.

"Hey, Deerling?" she said quietly. The Pokémon turned to her and looked at her inquisitively.

"Deer?"

"You want some food?" she asked, putting her hand out flat. The Pokémon slowly and carefully made its way over to Summer, one step at a time. When it reached her, it sniffed at the piece of sandwich in her hand and started to nibble it. Summer's eyes lit up as it continued nibbling at her offering. Once it had finished, it moved closer, bowed its head and nudged up against Summer.

"Deerling, do you wanna come on a journey with us?" Summer asked the Pokémon.

"Deer… Ling!" it cheered as it ran off to a spot ten feet away and got into a battle stance.

"So, it's a battle you want?" Summer asked with a smirk. "You're on!" she cheered. "Eevee, it's your turn!" she shouted, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Ee… Vee!" it cheered as it emerged from the blue light.

"Eevee, use Hyper Voice!" Summer commanded. Eevee opened its mouth and screamed as loud as it could, creating a blue wave of energy that blew over to Deerling who jumped over it and charged headfirst towards Eevee with a Tackle attack.

"Counter with your own Tackle!" Summer countered. Eevee then charged headfirst at Deerling and the two attacks connected sending both Pokémon skidding back to their respective sides of the space. Deerling panting.

"Ling, ling!" Deerling cheered as the floral tuft on its head turned green and white sparkles began to surround Deerling, healing its injuries.

"Woah, Synthesis…." Summer muttered to herself. "Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" she commanded. Eevee then began to form a purple sphere with a black centre at its mouth and shot it at Deerling. As the attack made it way over to Deerling, its back hooves glowed white, it turned around and kicked the Shadow Ball back over to Eevee.

"Now use Hyper Voice!" she yelled. Eevee opened its mouth again and screamed as loud as it could, creating another blue wave of energy toward the Shadow Ball, sending it back towards Deerling with more speed and power. The attacks hit Deerling, bringing it to its front left knee. Before it could use Synthesis again, Summer took out a Poké Ball and threw it, yelling

"Go, Poké Ball!" The spherical device flew over to Deerling and bounced off its head, red energy absorbing the Pokémon into the device. When it landed on the ground, it started to wobble. Then a second time. It wobbled again. Then, it pinged loudly. Summer ran over to the Poké Ball and held it out in front of her in a victory pose.

"Yay! I caught… a Deerling!" she cheered.

"Hey, nice work, Summer!" Lucas congratulated walking up to her. "I see all that time in the Hoenn region didn't go to waste." he said. "Do you want me to check its moves?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure." she accepted. "Deerling, nature calls!" she called as she threw the Poké Ball up in the air.

"Ling ling!" it cheered as it emerged from the blue light that had poured out.

"Deerling, this is Lucas, he's our friend." Summer assured it.

"Deerling's current moveset is Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, Synthesis." Lucas' PokéDex said.

"Deerling, Eevee, return." Summer said, returning her Pokémon to their Poké Balls.

"To Tembu City! Lucas cheered.

 **A/N - It was Summer that caught a Pokémon, and it was a Deerling. Next chapter our heroes get lost and have to find a way out. Or the culprits… But who could they be? Find out next time, as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 11) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) -** **Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**


	9. A Foggy Situation!

**A/N - Our heroes have gotten lost on their way to Tembu City due to some spontaneous fog. And that's where this short chapter begins. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Light Flame Blast - Firstly, thank you for reviewing, I appreciate it. While I would say that Summer is sweet (to an extent), I wouldn't she is shy since she has no trouble at all with talking to people (as a shy person, I know from personal experience that it isn't easy.) There will be character development along the way, lessons being learned (I don't want to spoil anything.) From now on, only Gym Leaders will be the detailed one-time characters since they aren't just generic trainers, more semi-major characters. I will also try to show off a Pok** **émon's personality more when they are there and I will try to add cultures to the cities and towns as I progress.**

"Where did all this fog come from?" Summer asked.

"I don't know." Lucas answered lamely. "It wasn't forecast in the weather report." he continued. When he had finished, they had reached a fork in the road.

"Which way do we go now?" Summer asked. Lucas took out his PokéDex to check its map function, only to be met with an error message.

"Error. This path does not exist." it said, causing Lucas to put it away and sigh in frustration.

"I say we go left." Summer proposed, pointing to the left path. "I have an idea!" she suddenly exclaimed. "What if we leave markings so we know if we've been that way before?" she said.

"Good idea." Lucas agreed. "But how are we going to do that?" he asked. Summer looked around and spotted a stick nearby. She went over and grabbed it.

"We'll use this stick to make an arrow." she said. "If we pass an arrow, we've gone the wrong way!" she finished. She then drew an arrow pointing up. They then made their way down that path being careful and taking the occasional glance at the ground on the look-out for the arrow. They had reached another fork in the road when they had stopped. Lucas noticed something on the left path.

"Hey, look!" he called to Summer.

"What is it?!" she asked.

"It's the arrow you drew!" he called back, before making his way back down towards Summer.

"The right path it is, then!" Summer said, pointing to the other path. She picked up the stick and made a tick mark this time, before they both made their way down the path. They had made their way down the path even more carefully this time, but they still ended up at the same fork in the road.

"Okay, something's definitely playing tricks on us." Summer said. "Maybe it's Haunters or Gengars." she guessed.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas called as he threw the Poké Ball.

"Sno!" it cheered after the blue light that poured out had dissipated.

"Snorunt use Ice Shard and spin!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt then glowed an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth. Before firing them, it began to spin so the attack went in all directions. As the attack continued, they heard shouts.

"Haunt!"

"Gar!"

"Snorunt, stop." Lucas said. Snorunt then stopped and stumbled around a bit after becoming dizzy from all that spinning.

Two Pokémon had now revealed themselves. They were both purple in colour. One had a gaseous body, and a round head with a pair of disembodied hands, each of which had three pointed fingers. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned that one first.

"Haunter, the Gas Pokémon." it said, bringing up an image of the Pokémon. "Haunter hides in very dark places, where it plots to take the life of the next living thing that comes near it. It silently stalks its victim and steals its life force with a lick from its gaseous tongue, which inflicts convulsions that persists until the victim dies." it continued. "It has the ability to float through solid walls. Despite its predatory nature, it has been known to entertain and prank people." it finished.

The other Pokémon was a darker purple than Haunter, it was bipedal with a roundish body. It had red eyes and a wide mouth that was curled into a sinister grin. Multiple spikes covered its back, and it had large pointed ears. Lucas moved the PokéDex over to this one.

"Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Haunter." it said, bringing up another image. "Gengar has the ability to hide perfectly in the shadow of any object, granting it exceptional stealth. However, Gengar's body acts as a heat sink. Its presence cools the temperature of the surrounding area by nearly 5 °C (10 °F), because it absorbs the warmth." it continued. "Gengar is very mischievous, and at times, malicious. It enjoys playing practical jokes and casting curses, such as pretending to be one's shadow, then behaving erratically. When the quarry notices, the Gengar takes delight in its victim's terror." it finished.

"Haunt/Gar" they laughed simultaneously.

"I know it may seem fun to play practical jokes on people" Summer began. The Pokémon both nodded in agreement. "But sometimes, it's better to leave them in peace so they don't get mad and attack you." she finished. The two Pokémon bowed their heads in apology.

"It's okay. We forgive you." Lucas said, cheering them up. "Now, do you mind getting rid of the illusion?" he asked, causing them to focus and move their hands about. Once they had finished their hand movements, the fog had dissipated and the fork of the road was no longer there.

"Thanks, Haunter and Gengar!" Lucas and Summer called back to them as they continued down Route 3. Unbeknownst to them, once they had gotten far enough away, the particular area of the route they got lost in was covered in fog once more…

 **A/N - So, our heroes got lost because of a Haunter and Gengar playing pranks on unwary travellers. But they managed to find their way out so they could continue onwards towards Tembu City, and Lucas' second Gym Badge. Next chapter, even though we just had a capture, is going to involve, in the words of DJ Khaled, another one. But what Pokémon is it going to be** **?** **Find out next time, as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 11) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**


	10. A Burrowing Bunnelby!

**A/N - You can probably tell from the title, the Pokémon that is going to be caught in this chapter. And that's all I have to say really. Hope you enjoy!**

As they continued their travels through Route 3, Lucas and Summer had slowed down when they noticed a group of holes in the dirt path that looked like they had been dug by a Pokémon.

"There sure are a lot of holes here." Lucas stated. "We better be carefuuul!" he yelled as his foot got caught in one of them and he face-planted.

"What was that about being careful?" Summer said between laughs as Lucas got up.

"If anything, that just proves my point." he said smugly.

"What d'you think the cause of these is?" Summer asked. As she said that, a small, grey, rabbit-like creature popped out of one of the holes.

"Bun?" it said. It had large, grey, brown-tipped ears with pinkish fur on the inside on top of its large, grey head and large eyes with white sclera and black pupils. It had a small pink nose and grey fur that stuck out on the cheeks, along with large white teeth. Its neck was surrounded by brown fur. It also had a grey body with a grey tail and small brown spots on its hind legs. Its front paws were completely grey, while its hind paws were grey with brown toes. Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Bunnelby, the Digging Pokémon." it stated, bringing up an image. "Bunnelby's ears are strong enough to shovel dirt and chop tree roots. It tends to be nocturnal." it finished.

"Cyndaquil, fire up!" Lucas yelled as he threw the Poké Ball.

"QUUIIILLL!" it roared after emerging from the familiar blue light, flaring up the flames on its back.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember!" Lucas commanded. Cyndaquil then flared up the flames on its back once more, opened its mouth, and started to shoot fire pellets at Bunnelby, who used its ears to dig another hole in the ground.

"It's using Dig, be careful Cyndaquil!" Lucas called to his Pokémon, who was looking around in panic, unable to sense where Bunnelby was.

"Bun!" it yelled as it shot up from the ground underneath Cyndaquil, sending the fire-type high into the air. As it was falling, Lucas had an idea.

"Cyndaquil, spin and use Double Kick!" he called up to it. As Cyndaquil was plummeting to the ground, it started to spin and its left foot started to glow white with power, creating a drill-like movement. While this was happening, Bunnelby began to glow white, and as soon as Cyndaquil was about to land the attack, Bunnelby sped out of the way, causing Cyndaquil to land roughly.

"That was Agility!" Summer called

"Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen and Ember!" Lucas commanded. Cyndaquil opened its mouth and released a cloud of thick, black smoke that covered the area. It then flared up the flames on its back and shot fire pellets at the cloud turning it orange.

"BUN!" the Bunnelby roared, before going completely silent. The smoke cleared to reveal another hole.

"Use Ember into the hole!" Lucas called. Cyndaquil ran to the hole, flaring up his flames once more and shot more fire pellets than ever before.

"BUUUUN!" it roared again as it shot up out of the ground. As it was falling, Lucas took out an empty Poké Ball and threw it straight at the Pokémon. As the ball reached Bunnelby, it slapped the device away with its ears, causing it to hit Lucas in the face.

"Oh, it's on!" he yelled. "Cyndaquil, jump and use Double Kick!" he commanded. Cyndaquil then took a running start towards Bunnelby and jumped above it and with its glowing left foot kicked it in its stomach, sending it crashing into the ground. "Now spin!" Lucas added. With its right foot now glowing white, Cyndaquil began to spin, creating the same drill-like movement. Cyndaquil slammed into Bunnelby, creating a crater around them. Lucas then threw the Poké Ball again. This time, it made contact with Bunnelby and sucked it in with red energy. The device landed on the ground and began to wobble. Then, it wobbled again. A third time. PING! Lucas ran over to the Poké Ball and held it in the air.

"I just caught… a Bunnelby!" he cheered. "Bunnelby, I choose you!" he yelled, throwing the Poké Ball.

"Bun!" it cheered upon emerging from the blue light. But then it noticed Cyndaquil and went up to the fire-type and started to slap it with its ears. Cyndaquil began to dodge the hits and started using Double Kick to hit back.

"That's enough you two!" Lucas called to the fighting Pokémon. They didn't listen. "Cyndaquil, return." he said, withdrawing it back to its Poké Ball.

"Bunnelby, if you're going to be travelling with us you need to be nice to your teammates." Lucas said, slightly scolding the Pokémon.

"Bun…" it hissed, showing a clear disdain for Cyndaquil. Lucas then took out his PokéDex to check its moveset.

"Bunnelby's current moveset is: Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, Double Slap, and Dig." it stated.

"Woah, you're strong Bunnelby." Summer said to the Pokémon.

"Bun." it agreed, flexing its ears.

"Bunnelby, return." Lucas said, withdrawing Bunnelby back to its Poké Ball, too.

"Look!" Summer called, checking a Town Map that she had bought from a roadside stall.

"What? What is it?" Lucas asked.

"It's Tembu City!" she answered.

"Alright!" he cheered. "Time to go win my second Gym Badge!" he yelled enthusiastically.

 **A/N - That's right, Lucas caught a pretty strong Bunnelby. And just in time for his Gym Battle. How convenient is that? ;). Next chapter, our heroes have arrived in Tembu City, the place of Lucas' next Gym Badge. But will he win it? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 12) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 12) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 13) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**


	11. In the Heat of the Moment!

**A/N - This chapter is going to focus on Lucas' second Gym Battle. Is the latest capture going to help? Read on and find out… Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas and Summer had spent all morning wandering through the dirt roads and dusty streets of Tembu City looking for the Gym so Lucas could win his second Gym Badge. Almost every building that they passed was wooden and had thatched rooves while being slightly elevated. There were others that resembled huts and shacks also made of wood.

"I did not think finding the Gyms would be this hard…." Lucas mused.

"No worries." Summer reassured him. "We'll find it eventually." she stated with a smile on her face. As she said that, Lucas had stopped and was looking up at a wide building with a red roof this time and a golden symbol that was a semi-circle at the top, a trapezium with a curved and elongated to the left top, and a small circle in the middle.

"See? Told you we'd find it." she said. They walked in and were met with the familiar sight of the battlefield with the grey referee podium to the right and the bleachers to the left. The walls were painted red and had yellow flame decals in the center of each wall. As Lucas looked around while Summer made her way to the bleachers, a woman walked up to the trainer box on her side. The sides of her head were shaved and she had a long red ponytail with a yellow streak down the middle. She had red eyes and a burning fire could be seen within them. She wore a sky-blue T-shirt with a Sun emblem on it, orange sweatpants and red flip-flops. As she reached the trainer box, a woman who was dressed in a black and white striped shirt, black trousers and black, formal shoes also appeared. Her black hair was tied up in a professional bun, and she was carrying two flags, one red and one green. She stepped onto the grey podium.

"Welcome to the Tembu City Gym where, I, Amber, call the shots." the red-haired girl said, introducing herself.

"I'm Lucas Young from Enevca Town!" Lucas replied.

"Do you have a burning desire to win, or will you just fizzle out?" she asked. The referee then spoke up.

"This will be a three-on-three battle between Amber, the Gym Leader, and Lucas of Enevca Town, with only the challenger able to make substitutions." she stated. "The battle will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to battle. Do you accept these rules?" she asked.

"Yes." Lucas and Amber said simultaneously.

"That's enough talk! Let's go!" she suddenly roared, throwing a Poké Ball. The device popped open and poured out a blue light, which dissipated to reveal a small, quadruped, fox-like Pokémon. It had a red-brown pelt, brown, pupil-less eyes, large, pointed ears with dark brown insides, and six orange tails with curled tips. It also had curled locks of orange fur with bangs on top of its head. It also had a cream underbelly and brown feet with lighter brown paw pads.

"Vul!" it cheered. Lucas brought out his PokéDex to scan the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon." it stated, showing an image of the Pokémon. "At birth, Vulpix has only one white tail, which apparently splits and grows more beautiful and warmer as it grows older." it continued. "Vulpix has a flame inside its body that never goes out, and is capable of manipulating fire to such precision as to create floating wisps of flame." it finished.

"Cyndaquil, fire up!" Lucas shouted, throwing his own Poké Ball.

"QUIIIILLL!" it roared as it emerged from the blue light, somersaulting and flaring up the flames on its back.

"Battle, begin!" the ref shouted, bringing down the flags she was holding.

"Vulpix, use Fire Spin!" Amber commanded. Vulpix opened its mouth and sent out a spiralling stream of fire at Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, slide under it and use Double Kick!" Lucas countered. Cyndaquil then started running towards the attack, its left foot glowing white and slid under the Fire Spin and towards Vulpix.

"Confuse Ray!" Amber countered. Vulpix's eyes turned blue and it gathered six different coloured orbs around its body. It then shot them at Cyndaquil before it could reach Vulpix. The orbs surrounded Cyndaquil and exploded in a flash of white light, causing everyone to shield their eyes. Once the light had dissipated, Cyndaquil was just standing there.

"Cyndaquil, Ember let's go!" Lucas called, throwing his right arm to the side. Cyndaquil then turned around, flaring up the flames on its back, and shot the fire pellets straight at Lucas. Lucas jumped out of the way just in time.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Amber commanded. Vulpix then ran at full speed towards Cyndaquil, white streaks trailing behind it. It slammed into Cyndaquil sending it flying into the wall behind Lucas.

"Cyndaquil!" Lucas yelled in concern.

"Cyn…. DAAAAA!" it roared, the impact having snapped it out of confusion.

"Alright!" Lucas cheered. "Now use Ember!" he commanded.

"Counter with your own Ember!" Amber countered. Both Pokémon opened their mouth and shot fire pellets at each other. As the attacks collided, Lucas yelled

"Tackle!" Cyndaquil ran towards Vulpix, head lowered and slammed into it, sending it rolling towards Amber.

"Quick Attack!" she commanded. Vulpix then ran full speed at Cyndaquil, white streaks trailing behind.

"Cyndaquil, jump!" Lucas countered. As Vulpix was about to reach Cyndaquil, the Johto Pokémon jumped into the air, causing Vulpix to come to a screeching halt.

"Now spin and use Double Kick!" Lucas followed up. Cyndaquil's left foot glowed white and it began to spin like a drill, speeding up the fall and powering up the attack. Cyndaquil slammed into Vulpix doing major damage. As it was powering up its right foot for the second kick, Amber called

"Quick Attack!" Vulpix ran at full speed yet again, with white streaks trailing behind. As Vulpix slammed into Cyndaquil, Cyndaquil brought its foot up to block the attack, causing a cloud of dust to appear. Once the dust had cleared, both Pokémon were revealed to have fainted.

"Vulpix and Cyndaquil are both unable to battle, therefore this round is a tie!" the ref called, holding up both flags.

"Cyndaquil, return!" Lucas called, sending the red beam out to Cyndaquil, withdrawing the Pokémon. "You fought bravely." he praised.

"Vulpix, return!" Amber also called at the same time. "You deserve a good rest." she said.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas yelled, throwing another Poké Ball.

"Sno!" it cheered bouncing around as the blue light dissipated.

"This battle's really heating up, but you ain't seen nothing yet!" she yelled, throwing a Poké Ball. The device popped open and the familiar blue light poured out. From the blue light, a yellow, quadruped creature that resembled a camel with a volcano-like hump on its back emerged. The hump was green at the very top and faded out into yellow with small green spots. It had bangs on top of its head, sleepy eyes with brown circles around them, and short, stubby legs.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Lucas questioned as he pulled out his PokéDex again.

"Numel, the Numb Pokémon." it stated, showing another image. "Numel is a very strong Pokémon, having served humans for many years with its ability to carry heavy loads up to 100kg (220lbs)." it continued. "However, it slows down when wet and cannot stand when it is hungry. Due to its dull wits, it does not notice when it has been hit." it finished.

"Numel, start this off with Focus Energy!" Amber called. Numel closed its eyes and its body was surrounded with a red aura. "Follow up with Flame Burst!" she commanded. Numel then shot a stream of fire from its hump and formed it into a ball. The ball then exploded sending flames scattering across the battlefield.

"Double Team!" Lucas countered. Snorunt created multiple clones of itself before the flames made contact with all of them, causing them to disappear. The final flame hit the real Snorunt and it tumbled to Lucas' feet.

"Snorunt, Frost Breath!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt then drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current towards Numel who was blown away by the attack and skidded to Amber's feet.

"Numel, use Magnitude!" she commanded. Numel's body became enveloped in a brown aura, it then jumped into the air and slammed down onto the ground, causing it shake and small columns of earth hit Snorunt, sending it into the air. As Snorunt was falling through the air, Lucas called

"Use Ice Shard!" Snorunt glowed an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth and shot them straight at Numel. "Follow up with Frost Breath!" Lucas continued. Snorunt then drew in another big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current towards Numel, sending it crashing into Amber. Its eyes had turned to swirls.

"Numel is unable to battle!" the ref called. "Therefore, the winners of this round are Lucas and Snorunt!" she continued, holding up the green flag.

"Numel, return!" Amber called. "You fought well. Now take a long rest." she praised. "Is that all you've got?" she asked smugly. "I want to see that battling fever!" she yelled, throwing her last Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged from the blue light of this one was a quadruped, feline-like one. It was mostly dark brown in colour with pale brown paws, ears, tail tip, and face. It had a short, rounded muzzle with a reddish-orange nose and round ears. Its eyes were circular with black irises and white pupils and sclera. There was a reddish orange tuft of fur between its ears. Each of its paws had three toes and a dark brown paw pad. Its tail ended in a pointed, teardrop shape.

"Keep it up, Rookie!" Summer cheered from the bleachers.

Lucas took out his PokéDex once more and scanned the Pokémon.

"Litleo, the Lion Cub Pokémon." it stated, bringing up yet another image. "In battle, its short mane radiates heat, and when up against a strong opponent, the temperature increases." it continued. "When wild Litleo grow stronger, they are kicked out of the pack and begin to live alone." it finished.

"Snorunt, you ready?" Lucas asked his Pokémon.

"Sno!" it cheered, adrenaline pumping.

"Litleo, let's start this off with Noble Roar!" Amber commanded, thrusting her hand out in front of her with her fingers splayed. Litleo then opened its mouth and let out a roar that caused red shockwaves to appear and rush over to Snorunt.

"Dodge it!" Lucas called. Snorunt then jumped in an attempt to dodge the attack, but it followed Snorunt all the way into the air and hit the ice-type. Snorunt was then surrounded by a ring of deep blue energy that disappeared after a few seconds.

"Noble Roar can't miss." said Amber. "How about another demonstration? Litleo, use Noble Roar again!" she commanded. Litleo opened its mouth and roared again, causing more red shockwaves to appear and rush over to Snorunt.

"Snorunt use Double Team!" Lucas countered. Snorunt made multiple clones of itself as the shockwaves grew closer. The shockwaves then made contact with all the clones of Snorunt and the real one, causing it to be surrounded by another ring of deep blue energy that also disappeared after a few seconds.

"Litleo, use Headbutt!" Amber called. Litleo then lowered its head and started charging towards Snorunt.

"Ice Shard!" Lucas countered. Snorunt then glowed an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth and shot them at Litleo. As they hit Litleo, it just knocked them away with its head and slammed its head into Snorunt, sending it tumbling to Lucas' feet.

"What?!" Lucas cried in shock. "Snorunt, are you okay?" he asked.

"Sno..." it said quietly as it shakily stood up.

"Let's finish this with Ember, Litleo!" Amber yelled. Litleo's short mane then began to glow as it opened its mouth and shot fire pellets at Snorunt, who was too tired to move out of the way quickly enough. The fire pellets pelted Snorunt, who tumbled to Lucas' feet once more. This time, its eyes were swirls.

"Snorunt is unable to battle!" the ref called. "Therefore, the winners of this round are Amber and Litleo!" she declared, holding up the red flag.

"Snorunt, return!" Lucas said, withdrawing Snorunt with the red beam of energy. "Bunnelby, I choose you!" he yelled, throwing his last Poké Ball.

"Bun!" it called as it emerged from the blue light, flexing its ears and making a motion for Litleo to come towards it with them.

"Bunnelby, increase your speed with Agility!" Lucas commanded.

"Litleo, Tackle!" Amber called. Litleo started to run towards Bunnelby who stood there glowing white until the very last second and as it was about get hit, dodged out the way and appeared behind Litleo.

"Now use Dig!" Lucas called. Bunnelby dug into the ground with its ears and disappeared from sight, causing Litleo to panic.

"Litleo, use Noble Roar!" Amber commanded. Litleo opened its mouth and roared, sending out red shockwaves across the battlefield. But nothing happened.

"Now!" Lucas yelled. Bunnelby then shot up from the ground underneath Litleo and sent it flying up into the air. As it was falling, Luas yelled

"Catch it and use Double Slap!" Before Amber could counter, Bunnelby jumped up into the air and caught Litleo and started to slap the fire-type with its ears

"Bun, Bun." it repeated over and over as it relentlessly slapped Litleo.

"Headbutt!" Amber commanded. Litleo reared its head back and slammed it into Bunnelby sending them crashing to the ground.

"Dig!" Lucas shouted. Bunnelby started to spin with its ears pointed downwards and as it crashed into the ground, dug through it.

"Use Ember in the hole!" Amber countered. Litleo's mane began to glow once more and shot fire pellets into the hole.

"Agility!" Lucas called. He didn't know if it worked. Seconds after the fire pellets had entered the hole, Bunnelby shot up out of the ground, seemingly unaffected.

"Now use Mud Slap!" he commanded. Bunnelby slammed both of its ears on the ground and pulled them up, throwing two balls of mud at Litleo. It was a direct hit that sent Litleo skidding to Amber.

"Ember!" she yelled. Litleo's mane glowed yet again and it sent out more fire pellets towards Bunnelby.

"Send them back with Double Slap!" Lucas countered. As the fire pellets reached Bunnelby, it started to slap them away with its ears.

"Now use Headbutt!" Amber called. As Bunnelby was still batting away the Ember attack, Litleo lowered its head and charged at Bunnelby, slamming its head into the normal-type who skidded to Lucas' feet.

"Bunnelby, use Quick Attack!" Lucas commanded. Bunnelby rushed at Litleo with full speed, white streaks trailing behind it, and slammed into Litleo, who rolled along the ground towards Amber.

"Let's finish this, Litleo!" she yelled. "Ember!" she commanded. Litleo's mane glowed again and it sent out more fire pellets towards Bunnelby.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge, then use Double Slap!" Lucas countered. Bunnelby ran towards Litleo at full speed with white streaks trailing behind it, dodging the fire pellets. Once it had reached Litleo, it began to slap the fire-type with its ears relentlessly. Bunnelby slammed both its ears into Litleo as its final hit, causing the lion cub to slump to the ground.

"Litleo is unable to battle!" the ref called. "Therefore, the winners of this round and the Gym Battle are Lucas and Bunnelby!" she announced.

"Yeah, we did it Bunnelby!" Lucas cheered, fist bumping the Pokémon's ears.

"You're hot stuff!" Amber said breathlessly as she walked up to the two of them.

"Thanks" Lucas replied.

"I'm all fired up! That was the most intense battle I've had in weeks!" she cheered. "You are truly deserving of this." she said, taking out a small metal object and handing it to Lucas. It was circular and had orange spikes jutting out from it. The main body of the object was red and yellow in colouring. "That's the Sun Badge and proof of winning at the Tembu City Gym." she told Lucas and Summer, who had now joined them.

"I just won… the Sun Badge!" Lucas cheered holding it out in front of him.

"Bun!" Bunnelby cheered as it jumped next to Lucas.

"Look at that, Rookie." Summer said. "Your second Gym Badge. Congratulations." she finished.

"Hey, Amber?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Could you tell us where the next Gym is?"

"Of course!" she cheered. "It's in Platan City, just northeast of Route 2." she told them.

"Thanks!" Lucas and Summer called as they walked out into fresh air.

"You're really getting the hang of battling, aren't you Rookie?" Summer asked, teasingly.

"You betcha!" Lucas replied. "To Platan City Gym! I'm gonna win that badge too!" he cheered.

"My, someone's confident." she remarked.

"Well, why shouldn't I be?" he asked.

 **A/N - That's all, folks. Well, for this Arc anyways. So Lucas won his second Gym Badge and is starting to get a bit too confident. Did you guess the Gym's type correctly? Next chapter, our heroes set off for Sugi City so they get to Route 2 and Platan City, the place of Lucas' third Gym Badge. What shenanigans will they get up to on the way? Find out next time, as the journey continues….**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 13) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 14) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 11) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**


	12. On the Road Again!

**A/N - Ladies, gentlemen, and whatever else! Roll up, roll up, it's the first chapter of the third arc. Last chapter saw Lucas win his second Gym Badge and he's starting to get a little over confident. Will this affect his upcoming Gym Battle? You'll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, our heroes have set off for Sugi City so they can get to Route 2 and Platan City. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas and Summer were walking back down Route 3 to Sugi City so they could get to Platan City, discussing their favourite parts of adventuring.

"What did you like most when you were travelling through Hoenn?" Lucas asked.

"I liked the fresh air and seeing the nature of the region." she replied, smiling with nostalgia. "So, what do you like most about travelling?" she asked Lucas.

"Well, I haven't been travelling long," he started. "But I quite like seeing everything that Adina has to offer." he answered, slightly in awe of his home region.

"It certainly is a beautiful region." Summer complimented. "I really like discovering new things." she said. "Hey, what time is it?" she suddenly asked.

"One in the afternoon." he answered looking at his X-Transceiver. "Why?" he asked.

"You want lunch, don't you?" she asked with a smirk.

"Everyone, come on out!" they cheered simultaneously, throwing their Poké Balls on the air. They all popped open, letting a bright blue light pour out. The Pokémon cheered as they emerged from the light.

"You can go play for a while until lunch." they told the Pokémon, who cheered and ran off to a nearby spot. Bunnelby and Cyndaquil, however, started to fight each other again. Bunnelby was using Double Slap to try and hit Cyndaquil, who was countering with Double Kick.

"Since lunch will take a while to cook, how about we have a battle?" Summer asked as she walked up to Lucas.

"What are the rules?" he asked back

"One on one. I'll use Cyndaquil and you'll use Bunnelby." she told him.

"You're on." he accepted. "Bunnelby, you ready?" he asked the Pokémon.

"Bun." it snapped, flexing its ears and beckoning Cyndaquil.

"Bunnelby, start this off with Quick Attack!" Lucas commanded, thrusting his hand forward with his fingers splayed. Bunnelby zipped at Cyndaquil at full speed with white streaks trailing behind it.

"Cyndaquil, counter with Tackle!" Summer yelled. Cyndaquil ran at the oncoming Bunnelby, head bent low, when the fire-type sped forwards at its full speed with white streaks also trailing behind it. The two Pokémon collided and were sent skidding towards their Trainers.

"Woah, you learned Quick Attack, Cyndaquil?" Lucas asked, impressed. "That's awesome!" he praised.

"Bun!" Bunnelby snapped at Lucas.

"Cyndaquil, use Quick Attack!" Summer commanded.

"Agility!" Lucas countered immediately. Bunnelby started to glow white as Cyndaquil took off at full speed with white streaks trailing behind it. As Bunnelby was about to dodge the attack, Cyndaquil got an extra boost of speed and slammed into Bunnelby who was sent flying into Lucas.

"Bunnelby, use Mud Slap!" he commanded. Bunnelby slammed its ears into the ground and pulled them up, throwing two balls of mud at Cyndaquil.

"Smokescreen!" Summer called. Cyndaquil then opened its mouth and released a thick, black cloud of smoke that covered the battle area.

"Use Dig and then Agility." Lucas said quietly to Bunnelby. Bunnelby dug a hole into the ground before the smoke cleared and revealed the hole to Summer.

"Use Ember into the hole!" she commanded with a smirk. Lucas' smirk was more prominent. As Cyndaquil flared up the flames on its back and shot the fire pellets into the hole, Bunnelby shot up out of the ground, unaffected by the attack.

"What?!" How?!" Summer yelled in confusion.

"Weren't you paying attention during my Gym Battle?" Lucas asked, in a mock lecturing tone. "When Amber did the same thing, I told Bunnelby to use Agility and it worked." he told her. "Now spin and use Quick Attack, Bunnelby!" he commanded the falling Pokémon. Bunnelby then crossed its ears and pointed them downwards and started to spin and become covered in a white aura. It sped towards Cyndaquil, spinning like a drill.

"Counter with Double Kick!" Summer yelled. Cyndaquil then charged up its left foot with white power and took the impact of the Quick Attack. As it charged up its right foot, Lucas yelled

"Double Slap!" Bunnelby used its ears to slap Cyndaquil, who had landed the Double Kick, and they were both sent rolling towards their sides of the battle area. Both Pokémon's eyes had turned to swirls.

"Well, would you look at that?" Summer asked rhetorically. "They're evenly matched." she finished.

"Maybe that's why they don't get along?" Lucas proposed. Summer then dug into her bag and pulled out some Oran Berries and gave them to the two Pokémon, who ate them gratefully.

"Bun/Cyn." they said simultaneously, nodding in respect. What the Trainers didn't notice was the two Pokémon shoting each other dirty looks now and again.

"So all they needed was a fair fight?" Lucas asked in slight confusion. "Well, if it means they get along, I'm happy." he shrugged.

"Lunch is served!" Summer called out across the area as she put out bowls of stew on the foldable table and bowls of Pokémon food on the ground. The Pokémon came running towards Summer, almost knocking her over.

"How about a training session after lunch, Rookie?" she proposed.

"Sure thing." he accepted.

 **00**

"A double battle format okay?" Summer asked.

"Yeah." Lucas replied.

"Deerling, Eevee, let's go!" she called, throwing two Poké Ball in the air.

"Deer/Vee!" they cheered simultaneously as they emerged from the blue light.

"Snorunt, Cyndaquil, I choose you!" Lucas called, also throwing two Poké Balls. Once the blue light dissipated, the Pokémon that emerged had determined looks on their faces.

"Eevee, Hyper Voice, as loud as you can! Deerling, Tackle, full speed" Summer called. Deerling charged at Cyndaquil with its head bent low as fast as it could, while Eevee opened its mouth and screamed as loud as it could, sending out a blue wave of energy that rushed over to Lucas' Pokémon.

"Jump!" Lucas yelled. As Deerling and the Hyper Voice made its way to the Snorunt and Cyndaquil, the two jumped out of the way.

"Cyndaquil, Ember! Snorunt, Ice Shard!" he called. Cyndaquil flared up the flames on its back and shot fire pellets from its mouth at Eevee, while Snorunt glowed an icy blue and formed multiple shards of ice at its mouth and shot them at Deerling.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball on the Ember!" Deerling, kick the Ice Shard away with Double Kick!" she countered. Eevee formed a purple sphere with a black centre at its mouth and shot it at the Ember attack causing a cloud of smoke to appear, while Deerling's back hooves glowed white as it turned around and began to kick the shards of ice away, causing nearby rocks to shatter.

"Eevee, use Tackle, full speed! Deerling, use Synthesis!" Eevee ran at Snorunt with its head bent low, while Deerling stood still as its floral tuft glowed green and white sparkled began to surround it, healing its injuries. As Deerling kept concentrating on healing, Lucas yelled

"Cyndaquil, Tackle Deerling!" Cyndaquil charged at Deerling with its head bent low and as the attack was about to land

"Jump over it!" Summer called. Deerling jumped over Cyndaquil with ease, causing it to screech to halt. "Follow up with Double Kick!" she commanded. Deerling's back hooves glowed white and it kicked the fire-type straight across the battle area.

Snorunt, close range Frost Breath!" Lucas commanded.

"Fire a Shadow Ball straight through it!" Summer countered. Snorunt drew in a big breath and expelled the air, which now had a faint blue tint and pieces of frost in the air current towards Eevee, who had just formed a purple sphere with a black centre and shot it through the Frost Breath.

"Dodge it!" Lucas and Summer shouted simultaneously. The two Pokémon dove out of the way of the attacks and were left panting.

"That was some good training!" Lucas cheered, still pumped.

"Hey look! It's Sugi City!" Summer called.

"Alright!" Lucas cheered. "We'll be in Platan City in no time!" he cheered again.

 **A/N - So, our heroes set off for Sugi City and had a big training session before they got there. I felt like Summer was gonna get underleveled if I didn't put that in. Next chapter, our heroes are back on Route 2 after a quick stop in Sugi City and someone captures a rare Pokémon, but who? And what? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 14) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 14) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 14) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 12) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 12) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**


	13. A Sun-Kissed Sunkern!

**A/N - Again, spoilers in the title for what Pokémon is caught in this chapter, but there's a clue to what's special about it. Can you figure it out? It's also pretty easy to guess who's going to catch it, based on the Pokémon it is. Hope you enjoy!**

After a brief stopover in Sugi City, Lucas and Summer were back on Route 2 and making their way to Platan City. As they were walking along the route, they heard the cries of a Pokémon.

"Sun, Sun!"

"Can you hear that?" Summer asked Lucas. "It sounds like a Pokémon." she told him.

"Ooh, let's go investigate." he said with a smirk, running off towards the cries.

"Hey, wait up!" Summer called after him as she ran towards the noise too. As she caught up to Lucas, he had stopped and was distanced from the scene that was unfolding in front of them. There were two Pokémon that seemed to be having an argument of some sort. One was sunflower-like in appearance and had a green trunk and limbs that were also green. It also had a circular cream-coloured head that yellow petals growing along the rim. It had leaves extending like an arm from its round body and two toes on each foot. Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Sunflora, the Sun Pokémon." it stated, an image appearing on its screen. "The petals become more vivid as the weather becomes warmer." it continued. "It tends to pursue sunlight and is always looking in the direction of the sun. While the sun is up, they move in a hectic manner; when the sun sets, it comes to a complete stop and closes its petals." it finished. The other Pokémon was smaller and was mainly bronze-yellow in colour. It was seed-like and had a small sprout growing out of its top. It had triangular, spike-like protrusions on top of its head that were encircling the sprout. Its body had three broad, brown, vertical stripes, two of which started jaggedly above the Pokémon's dark eyes and continue downward. The third stripe was directly below the mouth of the Pokémon. Lucas then scanned it with his PokéDex.

"Sunkern, the Seed Pokémon." it stated, showing another image. "Sunkern is known to be very weak. Aware of its weakness, it only feeds until it evolves; however, it only feeds on the dew from under the leaves of plants." it continued. "It tries to move as little as possible since it tries to conserve all the nutrients it has stored in its body for evolution." it finished.

"The one on the PokéDex looks different to the one over there." Summer noted. The image that the PokéDex had shown was a brighter yellow than the one that they were seeing.

"Sun, sun, Sunkern!" the Sunkern was saying.

"Sun, Sunflora!" the Sunflora was shouting back, shaking its head

"Sunkern?" it asked sadly, with tears forming in its eyes.

"Sun!" the Sunflora shouted, pointing its leaf arm towards the route. The Sunflora then walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Sunkern on the verge of tears. Summer then came out of their hiding place.

"Sunkern? You okay?" she asked kindly. The Pokémon looked at her teary-eyed and sniffled. Summer then dug into her bag and pulled out a can of Pokémon food and poured some onto her hand. She held out her hand towards Sunkern who looked at her in confusion before it bounced along to her and started to eat out of her hand, sniffling. As it was eating, Summer had an idea.

"Sunkern?" she asked the small Pokémon, causing it to look up at her, its eyes drier now. "Do you want to come with us?" she asked. "You'll make lots of new friends and you'll see how much fun travelling can be." she told the Pokémon, trying to persuade it.

"Sun!" it agreed, its eyes tearing up again, but this time, with joy. Summer then dug into her pockets and pulled out a Poké Ball and held it out to Sunkern. The Pokémon bounced up to it and hit the button in the middle with its sprout which caused a red beam of energy to suck the Pokémon into the device which immediately pinged with the success of a capture.

"I just caught… a Sunkern!" Summer cheered holding the Poké Ball at arm's length.

"Nice, Summer." Lucas praised as he joined her. "I did some searching on the PokéDex and it turns out that the Sunkern you just caught is a shiny form." he told her.

"Shiny form?" she asked him, head slightly tilted.

"Shiny forms are Pokémon that have a different colouration to others of their species. Sometimes, the difference is slight and other times it's totally different." he explained. "In other words, it's really rare!" he exclaimed.

"Woah, cool!" she cheered. "Hey, I have an idea!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Now we both have three Pokémon, let's have a battle!" she proposed.

"I'm not losing this time." Lucas lightly threatened.

"We'll see about that…" Summer rebutted.

 **A/N - A very short chapter, but I needed to put in a capture for the next chapter in which our MCs can get some training for the upcoming Gym Battle (for Lucas anyway). Next chapter is a battle between Lucas and Summer, but who will win? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 14) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 14) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 14) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 12) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 12) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 11) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**


	14. Summer VS Lucas! A Battle to Remember!

**A/N - Not much to say here except this is the chapter where our MCs have a proper battle using all three of their Pokémon each. Hope you enjoy!**

"You ready, Rookie?" Summer asked Lucas with a smirk.

"Always." he rebutted.

"Sunkern, it's time to shine!" she yelled as she threw a Poké Ball.

"Suun!" it cheered as it emerged from the blue light that poured out of the Poké Ball.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas yelled as he also threw a Poké Ball.

"Sno!" it cheered, eager for battle.

Sunkern, Grass Whistle!" Summer commanded. Sunkern then rubbed the two leaves of its sprout together and created a whistling sound, musical notes then began to appear from the sprout and surrounded Snorunt.

"Snorunt, get up!" Lucas yelled in an attempt to wake the Pokémon up.

"Sunkern, use Ingrain!" Summer called. Sunkern glowed green and sent out multiple small roots from its body and planted them firmly in the ground.

Snorunt, use Ice Shard!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt's eyes shot open and it began to glow an icy blue, forming shards of ice at its mouth and shot them at Sunkern.

"Endure, then use Mega Drain!" Summer countered. As the shards of ice rushed over to Sunkern, it glowed a deep red as the attack landed, causing a plume of dust, that once cleared, revealed Sunkern still upright, albeit barely. Sunkern's sprout then glowed white as it sent out a dark green beam of energy toward Snorunt and wrapped around the Ice-type. Snorunt then became outlined in red as the beam turned red and then went back to Sunkern's sprout which glowed white once more and restored Sunkern's health.

"Frost Breath!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt then drew in a big breath and expelled the air which now had a faint blue colour and pieces of frost inside the air current towards Sunkern sending it rolling into Summer.

"Sunkern!" she cried out in concern. Its eyes were swirls.

"Keep 'em coming." Lucas said with a hint of arrogance.

"Alright then, Mr Cocky." Summer rebutted. "Deerling, nature calls!" she shouted as she threw another Poké Ball. The device popped open and a familiar bright blue light streamed out, revealing the Deer Pokémon.

"Ling, ling!" it cheered as the blue light dissipated.

"Deerling, use Double Kick!" Summer commanded. Deerling's back hooves glowed white as it ran towards Snorunt. As it reached Snorunt, Deerling spun around and drove its hooves into the Ice-type, sending the small Pokémon flying through the air.

"Powder Snow!" Lucas yelled as Snorunt flew through the air. Snorunt then corrected itself and shot an icy blue flurry of snow from its mouth at Deerling.

"Take it and use Synthesis!" Summer yelled. As the Powder Snow reached Deerling, its yellow floral tuft began to glow green and white sparkles began to surround Deerling, healing its injuries.

"Ling, ling!" it cheered as it healed.

"Now use Tackle!" Summer shouted as she thrust her right hand to the right with her fingers splayed. Deerling bowed its head low and started to charge towards Snorunt as fast as it could and slammed into the small Pokémon, sending it crashing into Lucas. Lucas looked down and saw that Snorunt's eyes had turned to swirls.

"Snorunt, return." he said quietly as the red beam absorbed the Pokémon. "Cyndaquil, fire up!" he then yelled, throwing another Poké Ball.

"QUIIIILLLL!" it roared as it flared up the flames on its back.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember!" Lucas commanded. Cyndaquil then began to shoot fire pellets from its mouth as it flared up the flames on its back.

"Use Sand Attack to put them out!" Summer countered. Deerling turned to face Summer and used its back hooves to kick up sand that held off the Ember attack.

"Quick Attack!" Lucas yelled. Cyndaquil then ran at full speed and before Deerling could turn around, slammed into the Deer Pokémon, sending it skidding across the ground.

"Smokescreen, then Ember!" Lucas continued before Summer had a chance to speak. Cyndaquil released a thick, black cloud of smoke before shooting more fire pellets from its mouth at the smoke. The fire hit the smoke causing it to turn orange as it exploded, eventually clearing. Once it had cleared, it was revealed that Deerling had fainted.

"Deerling, return." Summer said. "You fought well." she praised, as she took out another Poké Ball. "Eevee, it's your turn!" she called as she threw the device.

"Ee… Vee!" it cheered as it shook its head after emerging.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" Summer commanded. Eevee formed a purple sphere that had a black centre at its mouth and shot it at Cyndaquil.

"Ember!" Lucas countered. Cyndaquil flared up the flames on its back and shot a stream of fire pellets at the attack, barely holding it off.

"Power it up with Hyper Voice!" Summer called. Eevee opened its mouth and screamed as loud as it could, sending a blue wave of energy rushing towards the attacks. The blue wave hit the Shadow Ball and the Ember causing all three attacks to slam into Cyndaquil, who was sent rolling across the ground. As it landed at Lucas' feet, it was clear that it had fainted.

"Cyndaquil, return." he said, withdrawing the Pokémon to its Poké Ball. "Bunnelby, I choose you!" he yelled, throwing his last Poké Ball.

"Bun!" it snapped at Eevee as it emerged from the blue light, flexing its ears.

"Bunnelby, Double Slap!" Lucas commanded. Bunnelby ran over to Eevee and began slapping the Pokémon with its ears.

"Endure!" Summer called. As Eevee was getting slapped, it began to glow a deep red, just as Bunnelby landed its final hit with both ears, kicking up a plume of dust. As the dust cleared, Eevee was still standing, looking more fierce than ever.

"Hyper Voice!" Summer commanded. Eevee opened its mouth to scream, but as it did, Lucas called

"Dig!" Bunnelby immediately dug a hole and disappearing from sight.

"Use it in the hole!" Summer countered. As Eevee screamed, it aimed for the hole that Bunnelby had left, the blue wave of energy rushed into the hole, sending Bunnelby shooting out of the ground in pain before Lucas could counter.

"Mud Slap" he yelled. Bunnelby slammed both its ears into the ground and pulled them up, holding two balls of mud, it then shot one at Eevee.

"Shadow Ball to block!" Summer called. As the ball of mud flew over to Eevee, the quadruped formed the purple sphere at its mouth and shot it towards the mud. As the two attacks collided, Bunnelby shot the other ball of mud at Eevee, catching it off guard. The mud covered its eyes and it began shaking around in distress.

"Quick Attack!" Lucas yelled. Bunnelby then charged at Eevee at full speed, white streaks trailing behind it.

"Tackle!" Summer countered. The two Pokémon rushed at each other and collided with a thud, causing a dust cloud to kick up. As the dust cleared, it was revealed that both Pokémon had fainted.

"Return!" they called simultaneously.

"Phew, that was intense…" Summer mused breathlessly. "You managed to tie with me this time; that shows your training's paying off." she praised Lucas.

"I hope this Gym will be as tough as this." he said. "That's one of the best parts of battling. Overcoming a big challenge or type disadvantage makes it really fun!" he cheered. "Time to go earn my third Gym Badge!" Lucas cheered as he ran off down the route.

 **A/N - So, Lucas and Summer had a battle which ended in a tie; how many of you predicted that? They both got some decent training in with almost everyone levelling up. Next chapter, our heroes encounter a Pokémon in** **a predicament and try to help it out. But what Pokémon is and what happened to the Pokémon? Find out next time, as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 15) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 15) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 11) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**


	15. Putting A Spring In Your Step!

**A/N - In this chapter, our heroes meet a Pokémon that has gotten itself in a predicament and they try and help it get out of it. The clue to the Pokémon is in the chapter title. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas and Summer were walking through the fields and rolling hills of Route 4 making their way to Platan City when Summer noticed a weird, slightly moving shape in the distance.

"What's that over there?" she asked Lucas, but mainly herself as she pointed towards it.

"Let's go find out!" he cheered enthusiastically as he shot off running in the direction that Summer was pointing

"Every time…" Summer sighed before chasing after him. "Wait up!" she called after him as she ran.

"What is it?" she asked him when she caught up to him.

"I don't know." he replied honestly. "It looks like a Pokémon." The creature he was referring to was grey and pig-like and it had a spring-like tail. In between its small ears, it was wearing a pink pearl. The Pokémon was using its tail to bounce up and down, but it seemed to do so slower than it should. Lucas then took out his PokéDex and scanned it.

"Spoink, the Bounce Pokémon." it stated, showing an image of the Pokémon. "Motion is achieved by bouncing on its spring-like tail. The bouncing has a vital function; it keeps Spoink's heart beating." it continued. "Spoink will be weakened without a pearl, and always searches for bigger pearls." it finished.

"Is it just me or does it seem like it should be bouncing faster if the bouncing powers its heart?" Summer asked.

"You know what? I think you're right." he agreed. "What can we do about it though?" he asked. "The nearest Nurse Joy is in Acacia City and neither of us is medically trained." he lamented.

"Maybe we could battle it?" Summer suggested.

"Doesn't that seem a little cruel?" he asked, not agreeing with battling a Pokémon that doesn't seem fit for it.

"You get excited when battling and your heart starts to beat faster, right?" she asked. "Well, if we can give it a bit of a challenge, its energy levels might rise and it might bounce as it should." she continued, not waiting for an answer.

"Sunkern could use some training too," he suggested. "That shouldn't be too difficult for Spoink to battle against." he said with a joking tone.

"How about it, Spoink?" she asked the Pokémon, who had been bouncing in place for the entire length of the conversation.

"Spoooiiink…" it sighed affirmatively.

"Sunkern, it's time to shine!" Summer called out as she threw the Poké Ball. The Poké Ball then popped open, pouring out the blue light and emerging from it was Sunkern.

"Sun!" it cheered eagerly.

"Sunkern, use Ingrain!" Summer commanded. Sunkern glowed green and sent out multiple small roots from its body and planted them firmly in the ground. Spoink then fired a rainbow coloured beam of energy from between its hands at Sunkern.

"Sunkern, dodge it!" Summer called. Sunkern tried to jump, but as it did it was pulled back down by the roots that it had planted and was hit head-on. "Sunkern!" Summer cried out in concern. "You okay?" she asked.

"Sun!" it called back affirmatively.

"Sunkern, use Growth!" she commanded. A light green orb appeared above Sunkern's leaves and exploded showering the small Pokémon and causing two red rings of energy to surround it and disappear. Spoink started to chant as its pearl began to glow and pulse in time with the chant. "Spoink, Spoink, Spoink!" As it finished its chanting, a ring of small blue, shield-like barriers surrounded it briefly before it disappeared.

"Now use Absorb!" Summer called out. Sunkern then released a red beam of energy from its leaves towards Spoink who used its tail to jump up and dodge the attack. Spoink then shot off another beam of rainbow coloured energy from between its hands towards Sunkern.

"Counter with Mega Drain!" Summer countered. As the rainbow coloured beam made its way over to Sunkern, Sunkern's sprout then glowed white as it sent out a dark green beam of energy at the attack, keeping the rainbow coloured beam at bay until the two attacks exploded in a flash of colour sending smoke everywhere. As the smoke cleared, Lucas noticed that Spoink was bouncing at a much faster pace than before.

"How was that, Spoink?" he asked the Pokémon.

"Spoink! Spoink! Spoink!" it cheered as it bounced.

"I think it's okay now." he told Summer.

"Let's give it some food to keep its energy levels up while it moves on." she suggested.

"Good idea," he said as he started digging into his bag. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed as he pulled out a large apple. "Here you go Spoink." he said as he gave it the apple. "Make sure that keeps you going for a while." he told it.

"Spoink, Spoink!" it thanked Lucas, before bouncing off into the distance.

"That was a pretty strong Pokémon…" Summer mused.

"I wonder if it'll become a Trainer's Pokémon someday…" Lucas contemplated.

"With strength and skill like that, I'd imagine so." Summer said with a smile. "You ready for your Gym Battle, Rookie?" she asked.

"I was born ready." Lucas scoffed arrogantly.

 **A/N - So, our heroes met a Spoink that had low energy levels that could have caused problems for it in the long run, but thanks to Summer, there was a battle and its energy levels returned to normal and Lucas gave it some food to keep it going. Next chapter, Lucas has his third Gym Battle, but will his confidence be his downfall? Find out next time, as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 15) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 15) - Agility, Tackle, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 12) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**


	16. An Autumnal Rumble!

**A/N - We are now up to Lucas' third Gym Battle and he's starting to get a bit over-confident, but will that give him a defeat? Read on and find out…**

As they climbed the last hill of Route 5, the landscape of Platan City began to appear in the distance where they could see tall, lush green trees on the edges of the city.

"Look at that, Platan City!" Lucas called as he stopped at the top of the hill.

"Wow…" Summer admired, in awe of the landscape. "Do you know what type this city's Gym is?" she asked Lucas.

"No idea!" he exclaimed with a grin. "It doesn't matter, I'm probably gonna win anyway." he shrugged.

"You wanna be careful with that confidence…" Summer cautioned.

"Let's go!" Lucas cheered as he shot off running down the hill, leaving Summer in the dust. Summer then started walking down the hill after him, having a feeling she'd catch up with him. As she got near the end of the hill, she heard a loud thud and a yell of pain. She looked around and found that the source of the noise was Lucas who was currently laying on his back, rubbing his head. She then looked some more and found a very tall tree that had a wide set of leaves and branches. She then came to the conclusion that he had crashed straight into a tree.

"Smooth." she stated sarcastically as Lucas groaned in pain. "Come on, get up." she said as she offered her hand to him. He took her hand and pulled himself up off the ground. It was at that point that a pink-haired woman came rushing up to them, as she got closer they noticed that it was Nurse Joy.

"Oh my Arceus, are you okay?!" she cried out after seeing Lucas get pulled up off the ground, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, I will be…" he said with a groan.

"Hey, Nurse Joy?" Summer asked, gaining the nurse's attention. "Could you guide us to the Pokémon Center?"

"My pleasure. Follow me." Nurse Joy instructed before beginning to walk into Platan City.

 **00**

"Here we are!" Nurse Joy announced as the trio reached the doors of the Pokémon Center. They then walked into the familiar building where Nurse Joy told the two that she would be happy to heal their Pokémon. In the meantime, Lucas and Summer began speculating what type the Gym Leader specialised in and whether Lucas had trained enough to be able to win. They were then interrupted by the familiar tune that played when their Pokémon had been fully healed.

"Here you are." Nurse Joy said as she handed them their Poké Balls with a smile. "They mainly just needed a rest from the travelling." she told them.

"Could you give us directions to the Gym?" Lucas asked enthusiastically.

"Absolutely." Nurse Joy answered.

 **00**

As they reached the Gym which had a green roof and was identified by the now familiar symbol, Lucas was almost shaking with excitement at the prospect of winning his third badge. As the duo walked into the Gym, they noticed that the environment was different from the previous two Gyms, the white lines of a battlefield, a referee's podium and bleachers for spectators were still present but the floor was made completely of grass and the walls were painted green, there were also tall trees spread out across the room with thick branches. As they looked around at the new environment, they were surprised at the voice of a woman as she stepped out from behind a large tree on the opposite side of the Gym. The woman had medium-length brunette hair and yellow eyes; she was wearing an orange dress that had leafy patterns on it and standard outdoor boots.

"This is the Platan City Gym, and I'm Autumn, the Gym Leader. I specialize in Grass-type Pokémon." she introduced herself as a man dressed in a referee uniform carrying one red and one green flag in left and right hand, respectively, also appeared.

"This battle will be a three-on-three battle between Autumn, the Gym Leader and Lucas Young of Enevca Town, with only the challenger allowed to make substitutions. The battle will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to battle. Are these rules acceptable?"

"Yes." Lucas and Autumn answered simultaneously.

"Let the battle begin!" the ref then called, bringing down the two flags.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Autumn asked rhetorically. "Cherubi, let's go!" she cheered as she threw the Poké Ball. The device then popped open, a bright blue light pouring out from it. The Pokémon that emerged was small and cherry-like; it had a round, deep pink body with two stubby feet. It also had beady eyes and a purple-red stripe running down part of its face; it had a short stem with two big, green leaves and a second, much smaller head growing out of it. Not recognizing the Pokémon, Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Cherubi, the Cherry Pokémon." it stated as it showed Lucas an image of the Pokémon. "Its second head contains nutrients that contribute to Cherubi's growth as its initial source of food." it finished.

" _It's sooooo cute!"_ Summer thought to herself as she watched the Pokémon come out.

"Cyndaquil, fire up!" Lucas called as he threw his Poké Ball towards the battlefield.

"Cynda… QUIIILLL!" it roared as it emerged from the blue light, flaring up the flames on its back.

"Cherubi, use Leech Seed!" Autumn commanded, throwing her left arm to the side. Cherubi then released multiple brown seeds towards Cyndaquil and they shot out vines that immediately wrapped around it.

"Cyndaquil!" Lucas called out in concern. "Hit 'em back with Tackle!" he commanded. Cyndaquil then tried to run but tripped over one of the vines that had him restrained.

"Now use Growth!" Autumn called. Cherubi formed an orb of deep green energy above its leaves and it exploded, showering it with green sparkles, which caused two red rings of energy to appear around it briefly before disappearing. A red beam of energy then came from the vines that were wrapped around Cyndaquil, causing the fire-type to cry out in pain as the energy was given to Cherubi.

"Cyndaquil, flare up the flames on your back!" Lucas cried, desperate to get rid of the effect. Cyndaquil did as he was told, causing the vines that were wrapped around him to burn and shrink away. "Now, use Quick Attack!" Lucas followed up.

"Growth, again!" Autumn called out. As Cyndaquil ran forward at full speed, white streaks trailing behind it, Cherubi formed another deep green orb above its leaves, which exploded and showered it again causing two more red rings of energy, a deeper shade this time, to appear again briefly. As the ring disappeared, Cyndaquil slammed into Cherubi, sending it rolling across the floor.

"Cherubi, can you carry on?" Autumn asked worriedly.

"Cher…" it answered, shakily getting back to its feet.

"Then use Morning Sun and follow up with Magical Leaf!" she commanded. Cherubi's whole body then glowed white as sparkles began to surround it. Once the glow had dissipated, Cherubi looked as though it was much healthier. It then jumped up and flipped around, releasing multiple yellow and green leaves from the two leaves on its head towards Cyndaquil.

"Ember!" Lucas countered. Cyndaquil flared up the flames on his back and shot multiple fire pellets towards the leaves, but to no avail. The leaves swirled around the fire pellets that Cyndaquil had shot and cut straight into the Pokémon, causing it to skid across the ground towards Lucas.

"Smokescreen, then Quick Attack!" Lucas exclaimed. Cyndaquil then expelled a cloud of thick, black smoke from its mouth onto the battlefield and rushed into it with white streaks trailing behind the Pokémon. Cherubi's eyes darted around wildly lost in the smoke when Cyndaquil slammed into it, sending the pink Pokémon rolling across the floor towards Autumn. As the smoke cleared, it was easy to see that Cherubi had fainted.

"Cherubi is unable to battle!" the ref announced. "The winners of this round are Lucas and Cyndaquil!" he declared, raising the green flag.

"Cherubi, return." Autumn said, withdrawing the Pokémon. "You deserve a nice, long rest." she praised. She then addressed Lucas

"You're tougher than I thought." she complimented. "I guess I'll have to pull out all the stops to defeat you." she said. "Petilil, it's your turn!" she yelled as she threw her second Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged from the blue light was plant-like, resembling a plant bulb. It was primarily light green and its head was tipped with three oblong leaves; it had a crescent-shaped white face, seemingly lacking a nose or mouth, and brown eyes that were shaped like elongated ovals. A green bib-like feature was present on its neck and its lower body consisted of five stubs, two of which acted as arms and two acted as legs. Lucas took out his PokéDex for the second time and scanned the new Pokémon.

"Petilil, the Bulb Pokémon." the device stated, bringing up a new image. "The leaves on its head are very bitter, even though they possess revitalizing effects." it continued. "It lives in areas with a high abundance of soil that is rich in moisture and nutrients." it finished.

"Cyndaquil, you ready?" Lucas asked his Pokémon.

"Cyn… da…" it said in between heavy breaths.

"Okay, then let's start this off with Double Kick!" he exclaimed. Cyndaquil then ran over to Petilil with its left foot glowing white.

"Counter with Sleep Powder!" Autumn cried out. Petilil's leaves then released a blue, sparkling powder that reached Cyndaquil just before the Double Kick could hit, causing the fire type to slump forward onto the ground, asleep.

"Cyndaquil, you need to get up!" Lucas called to his Pokémon with no effect.

"Finish this with Magical Leaf, Petilil!" Autumn commanded confidently as she threw her left arm to the side, her fingers splayed. The leaves on Petilil's head began to glow and they released multiple yellow and green leaves at Cyndaquil, who was unable to dodge, so was hit by every one of the leaves, kicking up a plume of dust that cleared to reveal Cyndaquil fainted.

"Cyndaquil, return!" Lucas called, withdrawing his Pokémon. "You battled hard." he praised the fire type.

"Bunnelby, I choose you!" he then called out as he threw his second Poké Ball.

"Bun!" it snapped as the blue light dissipated.

"Nothing's going to stop me from winning this battle!" Lucas called over to Autumn.

"We'll see about that!" Autumn rebutted.

" _He's going to get himself into trouble with that much confidence…"_ Summer thought to herself as she watched the display. "Go get 'em, Rookie!" she called out loud to Lucas, who gave her a thumbs up.

"Petilil, Sleep Powder!" Autumn yelled. Petilil then released the same sparkling, blue energy and sent it towards Bunnelby.

"Not this time, Bunnelby, use Dig!" Lucas countered. Bunnelby then dug a hole and dived in just in time as seconds later, the blue powder passed over the hole. "Follow up with Quick Attack!" Lucas exclaimed. Bunnelby then shot up underneath Petilil with white streaks trailing behind it and sent it crashing into the ground.

"Petilil, use Mega Drain!" Autumn commanded. Petilil's leaves then glowed white as it sent out a dark green beam of energy at Bunnelby who was hit dead on as he was falling back to the ground, the attack sending the normal type crashing into Lucas who fell over from the impact. Bunnelby then jumped straight back onto the battlefield.

"Bunnelby, use Dig and Quick Attack!" Lucas called.

"Counter with Magical Leaf!" Autumn rebutted. As Bunnelby jumped back into the hole it had made previously and shot up from underneath Petilil, who upon being launched into the air, faced downwards and shot a barrage of yellow and green leaves at Bunnelby sending it crashing into the ground. As Bunnelby was sent plummeting, it grabbed Petilil with its ears and took the grass type down with it. As they both crashed into the ground, a big cloud of dust was kicked up, leaving the two Trainers breathless with anticipation. The dust cleared and upon doing so, it was revealed that the round had ended in a tie.

"Return!" they both called simultaneously.

"Nice going, buddy." Lucas praised Bunnelby.

"You did everything I needed." Autumn praised her own Pokémon. "I'm not holding back anymore. Turtwig, let's finish this!" she exclaimed as she threw her final Poké Ball. The blue light that poured out of the device dissipated to reveal a light green, quadrupedal creature that resembled a turtle. Its eyes, feet and lower jaw were yellow while its body was covered by a brown shell composed of earth which had a thick, black stripe and a black rim. Its head had a small seedling growing out of the brown patch on it.

"Twig." it stated fiercely. Lucas then took out his PokéDex to scan the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon." it stated, bringing up an image of the Pokémon that was standing on the battlefield. "The seedling on its head will wilt if Turtwig becomes thirsty. It drinks water to harden its earth-based shell. It also nourishes itself through photosynthesis." it finished.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas cried out as he threw his final Poké Ball with his signature throw.

"Sno!" it cheered eagerly upon being released from the Poké Ball.

"Let's kick this off with Double Team and Leer!" Lucas exclaimed. Snorunt then ran forwards towards Turtwig, making multiple clones of itself. They then surrounded Turtwig before making a sinister face.

"Withdraw!" Autumn called. Turtwig then retreated into its shell as Snorunt made the sinister face. A deep blue ring of energy appeared briefly and a second ring of energy, a lighter shade of red also appeared around Turtwig.

"Now use Icy Wind!" Lucas commanded. The clones disappeared before Snorunt opened its mouth and released a sparkling blue snow towards Turtwig, freezing part of the battlefield.

"Withdraw, again!" Autumn countered. Turtwig retreated into its shell once more as the attack sent it spinning across the ground. Another red ring of energy appeared around Turtwig briefly. "Follow up with Razor Leaf!" she cried out. Turtwig swung its head around and shot razor-sharp leaves at Snorunt.

"Blow them back with Frost Breath!" Lucas countered. Snorunt took a deep breath and expelled the air which had pieces of frost following the air current towards the Razor Leaf.

"Withdraw!" Autumn cried. Turtwig retreated into its shell for a third time, causing the leaves to bounce off the shell harmlessly while a deeper, red ring of energy appeared around Turtwig briefly. "Use Bite!" she followed up. Turtwig began to run towards Snorunt before slipping on the ice that had been made earlier.

"Wrap this up with Ice Shard!" Lucas called out. Snorunt formed a multitude of shards of ice at its mouth before shooting them at the downed Turtwig. As the attack hit, there was a cloud of dust that put a chill into the air.

"Turt…" the Pokémon groaned faintly. It was clear that it was unable to battle further.

"Turtwig is unable to battle!" the ref announced. "That means that winners of this round and the battle are Lucas and Snorunt!" he declared, holding up the green flag once more.

"Turtwig, return." Autumn said as she withdrew the Pokémon. She then walked up to Lucas with a small metal object in her hand.

"A gracious defeat from a worthy adversary." she stated. "From your battling prowess, I can tell that you are truly worthy of this." she complimented Lucas as she handed him the object that was in her hand. Getting a closer look at it, Lucas could see that it was a deep green with a stem that had three leaves coming out of it with splits down each of them and ridges on either side of the splits. "That's the Starburst Badge, it's proof of winning at the Platan City Gym." she told him.

"I just won… the Starburst Badge!" Lucas cheered as struck a pose and held it aloft.

"Sno!" Snorunt cheered as it jumped up to Lucas' waist.

"Well done, Rookie." Summer praised him as she joined them. "You're almost halfway there, right?"

"Yep, when I win my next Gym Badge, I'll be halfway to the Adina League!" he cheered confidently.

"Speaking of, where is the next Gym?" Summer asked Autumn.

"It's in Poplar City." she answered. "You can get there by going to Larch Town, just east of here and then going through Route 34." she directed.

"Thank you!" they called back as they exited the Gym. Lucas put the Starburst Badge into his Badge Case and admired all three badges that had been placed into it.

 **A/N - I faked you out a little there by foreshadowing that Lucas' confidence was going to be his downfall, but no, not yet. So, Lucas won his third Gym Badge, but it was tougher than he expected. Next chapter, Lucas meets up with Tendou and has a battle, and the evil team is introduced. Lucas and Tendou will have to work together to defeat their opponents, but will they succeed? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 16) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 16) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 16) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 12) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**


	17. The Master Museum of Champions!

**A/N - This chapter, Lucas and Tendou have a battle, but then have to work together to defeat some grunts of the evil team. Hope you enjoy!**

"Here we are! Larch Town!" Summer announced as they walked into town.

"Is there anything to do here?" Lucas asked. "It seems a bit of a waste to come here and not explore." he continued.

"Let's see…" she murmured as consulted her Town Map. "Ooh!" she exclaimed upon discovering something, unknown to Lucas. "There's a museum here of all the Pokémon League Champions of the world."

"That sounds interesting, which direction is it?" Lucas asked.

"Oh no, you don't." she said as she pulled back on his T-shirt. "You'll only get yourself into trouble if you keep running off like that." she scolded him, not releasing her grip.

 **00**

"Hello, and welcome to the Champion's Museum!" the receptionist greeted warmly. "At this museum, we provide a tour while telling you of the achievements of Champions from all over the world." she told them. Lucas then saw a framed picture of a Trainer with six Pokémon by his sides. Upon getting a closer look, Lucas saw that the male trainer had brown hair sticking out from under his red cap with an arch and circle underneath it emblazoned on the cap and brown eyes and stood holding a trophy in front of his chest. There were three Pokémon on one side, two on the other and one on his shoulder. On the shoulder of the Trainer, there was a short, chubby yellow rodent with a lightning bolt shaped tail. On the Trainer's left side, there were two Pokémon; one was a quadruped, mammalian Pokémon with slender legs and dainty paws and was covered in fine, lilac fur. The other Pokémon was a huge, bipedal, dark blue-green Pokémon with a cream-coloured face, belly, and feet.

On the Trainer's right side, there were three Pokémon; one was a squat, quadruped Pokémon with bumpy, blue-green skin. Next to it, there was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon. It was primarily orange with a cream underside from the chest to the tip of its tail, which burned with a sizable flame. The third Pokémon was a large, bipedal turtle-like Pokémon. Its body was blue and was mostly hidden by its tough, brown shell.

Next to the picture, there was a large information board, that had a profile of the Trainer and how he became the Champion.

"Pictured: Red and his winning team: Pikachu, Espeon, Snorlax, Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise. Red earned all the Gym Badges for the Indigo League while battling Team Rocket. He won against all four Elite Four members and had to battle his rival, Blue, for the Championship. He is often praised and considered by many to be the best Trainer in the world."

Summer was looking at a different picture towards the end of the line. This Trainer was also male, and was standing at a towering 6'0". He had broad shoulders and a prominent Adam's apple. He also had dark blonde hair and amber eyes along with fair skin. He was pictured with three Pokémon on both sides. On his immediate right, there was a large, bipedal, frog-like Pokémon. Its body and legs were dark blue, with single large white bubbles on its legs and arms and white spots over its eyes.

Next to that Pokémon, there was a dark purple Pokémon, it was bipedal with a roundish body. Floating next to and slightly above them was a vaguely anthropomorphic butterfly with a purple body.

On the Trainer's immediate left, there was also a short, chubby yellow rodent with a lightning bolt shaped tail. Next to that Pokémon was a white bipedal Pokémon with a red collar with a spot of red below it, and pink fluffy hair. The final Pokémon was a large, dinosaur-like Pokémon. It was predominantly brick-red in colouration, with scaly patterns on its skin and scattered orange highlights on some of the scales and ridges.

There was also an information board next to this picture. It stated "Pictured: Owen Plateau with his winning team: Greninja, Gengar, Butterfree, Pikachu, Slurpuff, Tyrantrum. Owen, originally from Kanto, travelled to many regions before he became Champion. While travelling through Kalos, Team Grim brutally murdered the Elite Four and Champion, leaving a gap in the region, but the leader was defeated by Owen on top of Prism Tower. After defeating his opponent in the final round of the Kalos League, he was announced the new Champion and assembled a new Elite Four."

At that moment, a voice cut through the quiet admiration.

"Huh, fancy seeing you here." the voice said. Lucas and Summer both looked towards the voice to see Tendou. "You admiring what you'll never become?" he asked arrogantly. "Let's battle to see how much stronger I've gotten." he demanded as threw a Poké Ball. The device popped open and poured blue light, from which a Pokémon emerged. The Pokémon was a green and arachnoid in appearance. It had black eyes with white pupils, a white horn on its head, red mandibles, and six yellow legs.

"Spinarak, the String Spit Pokémon." it stated clearly as it showed Lucas an image of the Pokémon. "Spinarak is a patient hunter that can wait motionlessly for several days for unsuspecting prey to become trapped in its thin yet strong web, which it weaves in forests." it continued. "The thread that it spews is so strong that its webs will not break even when rocks are set on them, and some fishermen weave the thread into nets to catch fish Pokémon. It is even said to be able to identify what kind of prey is in its web just by their vibrations." it finished.

"Alright! Cyndaquil, fire up!" Lucas yelled as he threw his Poké Ball.

"Cynda!" it cheered upon emerging from the device.

"Start this off with String Shot!" Tendou commanded. Spinarak opened its mouth and shot a stream of sticky, white string at Cyndaquil and wrapped the string around the fire type. "Now use Scary Face!" Tendou continued. Spinarak rushed up to Cyndaquil and made a scary face that made Cyndaquil recoil in fear, before rushing back to Tendou.

"Cyndaquil, flare up your flames!" Lucas cried, not wanting to be defeated easily.

"QUUUIIIILLLL!" Cyndaquil roared as the spots on its back shot out flames, burning the String Shot to a crisp.

"Follow up with Ember!" Lucas yelled. Flames still burning, Cyndaquil opened its mouth and shot out a stream of fire pellets at Spinarak.

"Counter with Poison Sting!" Tendou countered. Spinarak then fired a barrage of white needles towards the oncoming fire attack. The attacks collided, a cloud of smoke forming. "Now use Night Shade." Tendou whispered to his Pokémon.

"Use Quick Attack." Lucas whispered to Cyndaquil at the same time. Cyndaquil shot off towards the smoke with white streaks appearing behind it, while Spinarak fired a black beam from its horn into the cloud. BOOM! The two attacks collided, a plume of dust being kicked up. The rivals waited with bated breath. The dust cleared. Both Pokémon were lying on the ground, clearly unconscious.

"Return!" they called simultaneously. As they were about to send out their second Pokémon, they were interrupted by a blaring alarm and a flashing red light.

"Intruder! Intruder!" the alarm blared.

"What's this all about?" Lucas and Summer asked simultaneously.

"Didn't you hear the alarm?" Tendou asked smugly. "Intruders, you dumbasses." he insulted them. As Lucas was about to retort, they were interrupted again by two women. They were wearing purple jumpsuits that had a black symbol of eight arrows that were in a radial pattern emblazoned on them. The two women also had purple hair and eyes.

"Who are you?!" the trio exclaimed. The two women looked at each other and cackled.

"We're the Sisterhood of Chaos!" they announced proudly. "Obviously, we can't have any witnesses reporting us to the police." one of them threatened. They threw two Poké Balls simultaneously. The two devices popped open. The Pokémon that emerged on the left was one that Lucas recognised. It was an avian creature with black feathers.

"Murkrow!" it cawed threateningly.

The Pokémon on the right, Lucas didn't recognise. It was bipedal and resembled a mix of a cat and a weasel. It was primarily bluish black with three bright red feathers as its tail and a single one on its left ear. The other ear was short and pointed, and it had narrow red eyes.

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon." it stated, bringing up an image of the Pokémon standing in front of him. "Sneasel is a notoriously vicious Pokémon, which is perfectly capable of using its claws to do substantial damage. The claws are also used for climbing trees in its forest home. Sneasel steals eggs from unattended Pidgey nests." it continued. "Sneasel has been known to form pairs to hunt. One will lure the parents away from the nest, while the other steals the eggs." it finished.

"Staryu, you're next!" Tendou called as he threw his Poké Ball. The device popped open, bright blue light streaming from it. The Pokémon that was revealed once the light dissipated was a golden-brown sea star-like Pokémon with five appendages. The appendages surrounded a red exterior organ, which was held in place by a golden ring looped around Staryu's left "leg". The core resembled a red jewel. Lucas took out his PokéDex for the third time and scanned the Pokémon.

"Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon." it stated, showing Lucas a picture of the Pokémon. "If any of Staryu's appendages are lost, it can grow them back with ease provided the core is intact." it continued. "Staryu is a natural prey of some species of Pokémon, however, due to its regenerative abilities, being preyed upon does not negatively affect it." it finished.

"Bunnelby, I choose you!" Lucas called as he also threw his Poké Ball.

"Bun!" it snapped as it flexed its ears.

"Hah, you think your weak asses can defeat us?" one of them asked, smugly. "Think again!" they both exclaimed.

"Staryu, use Water Gun on Murkrow!" Tendou commanded.

"Bunnelby, use Dig on Sneasel!" Lucas also commanded. Staryu released a spiral of water from its top-most limb at Murkrow as Bunnelby dug a hole and dove into it.

"Rapid Spin, Staryu!" Tendou called. Staryu then shot forward, spinning like a saw blade, using its appendages as a cutting edge.

"Follow up with Quick Attack!" Lucas called at the same time. Bunnelby shot up out of the ground and slammed into Staryu, knocking it off course and crashing into the ground.

"Dude, what the shit?!" Tendou and Lucas exclaimed simultaneously.

"Sneasel, use Icy Wind!" one of the women called out.

"Murkrow, Wing Attack!" the other also called out. Murkrow jumped into flight as its wings began to glow white, while Sneasel powered it up by releasing a sparkling, blue snow from its mouth. The two attacks hit Lucas and Tendou's Pokémon and a cloud of dust appeared from the collision. In the aftermath, Lucas whispered to Tendou

"Look, if we wanna win this battle, we're gonna have to work together." Lucas told his rival. "I have an idea." he said vaguely, before explaining it. The dust cleared to reveal Staryu and Bunnelby to be barely standing.

"Bunnelby, grab Staryu!" Lucas commanded. Bunnelby, confused at who it was meant to be fighting, gave Lucas a questioning look, which was met with a nod. Bunnelby then did as it was told and grabbed Staryu with its ears. "Now, throw it sideways!" Lucas yelled. Bunnelby threw Staryu at the two Dark-types.

"Use the momentum for a powered-up Rapid Spin!" Tendou called to his Pokémon. As Staryu flew through the air, it began to spin at a rapid pace, becoming a blur and curved to hit both dark-types who were sent crashing into their Trainers, unconscious.

"I… im… Impossible!" they exclaimed in shock. "How could we have been defeated by someone as weak as them?" one asked the other. At that moment, their lamenting was interrupted by a woman with long, purple hair and eyes. She also had the same logo as the two women in jumpsuits on her purple tank-top and was also wearing purple skinny jeans.

"You lost?!" she asked incredulously. Get out of my sight before I do something I _might_ regret!" she yelled, apoplectic with rage. "And you!" she shouted, pointing to Lucas. "You think you're so tough, just 'cause you defeated some low-life grunts with your fRiEnD?" she asked sarcastically. "Pathetic!" she spat, not waiting for an answer. "Don't even think about challenging me, you aren't worth my time…" she finished, insultingly. She then grabbed the two grunts and made a series of taps on a device attached to her wrist before disappearing completely.

"They were strong, I hope I don't have to face them again anytime soon…" Lucas said breathlessly.

"You know, I'm gonna win the next time we battle." Tendou said with an air of arrogance, before walking out the doors of the museum.

"Wow…" Summer said with sarcastic disdain. "What. A. Dick." she stated.

"Yeah, well, no point dwelling on what just happened." Lucas said nonchalantly. "We need to focus on getting my fourth Gym Badge!" he cheered enthusiastically. Summer rolled her eyes at Lucas' behaviour and thought to herself, brows furrowing.

" _Was I this annoying when I was going through Hoenn?"_

 **A/N - There we go! The evil team has now been officially introduced as the Sisterhood of Chaos and interrupted Lucas and Tendou's battle and they had to learn to work together to defeat them. And a powerful member strolled in and scolded the Grunts before teleporting away. Next chapter, Summer catches a Pokémon. What Pokémon is it going to be? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 16) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 17) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 12) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**


	18. Cherishing A Cherubi!

**A/N - This is a very short chapter in which Summer catches a Pokémon, which is revealed in the chapter title. Hope you enjoy!**

As Lucas and Summer walked through the grass of Route 34, they heard the cries of a flock of Pokémon. They looked up at the sky and saw a flock of Pokémon that had primarily greyish-brown plumage.

"What Pokémon are they?" Summer asked, prompting Lucas to take out his PokéDex and scan the flock.

"Starly, the Starling Pokémon." it stated, bringing up an image. The Pokémon shown on the PokéDex's screen was avian Pokémon with primarily greyish-brown plumage. There was a white marking on its face, resembling a mask, and a white spot on its chest. The rest of its head and the lower half of its wings were black. It had a long, orange beak with a black tip and oval, black eyes with white pupils. A small tuft of feathers curled over the back and its head, and a small, pointed ruff surrounded its neck. It had two black tail feathers with a white feather between them. Its feet were orange with three toes in the front and one in the back. "Although capable of flapping its wings powerfully, Starly is weak and inconspicuous when alone." it continued. "It forms large flocks to protect itself. However, individuals will begin to bicker if the group becomes too large." it finished.

As they were watching, one separated from the group and started to nose dive towards the ground. The duo chased towards where Starly was headed and saw a Pokémon that they both recognised.

"A Cherubi!" Summer exclaimed, drawing the attention of the two battling Pokémon. Starly then flew up and began to dive bomb again, as it sped towards the ground, its beak glowed white and extended.

"Eevee, use Hyper Voice!" Summer yelled as she threw a Poké Ball. Eevee emerged from the light and began to scream as loud as it could, sending a wave of blue energy towards the two Pokémon. The energy crashed into the two Pokémon, Starly was sent crashing into its flock, and promptly flew away from it.

"There you go, Cherubi." Summer said, smiling at the Pokémon. "Take care!" she called back as the two Trainers continued their journey down the route.

 **00**

"Lunch is served!" Summer called to the group, who came rushing up to her. Among them was the Cherubi that she had saved earlier.

"Hey, Cherubi…" she greeted the Pokémon warmly.

"Cher! Cher!" it cheered in reply. It then walked up to Summer's bag and tipped it over, causing a Poké Ball to roll out.

"Cher! Cherubi!" it cheered again.

"You want to come with us?" Summer asked. The Pokémon nodded in reply and hit the button on the device. It got sucked in with a red beam of energy and the device pinged with the success of a capture.

"I just got… a Cherubi!" Summer cheered as she held the Poké Ball at arm's length.

 **A/N - A short chapter, but there hasn't been a capture chapter in a while, so I thought I'd put this in. Next chapter is a filler chapter, where Summer shows Lucas how Contests work. As the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 16) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 17) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 12) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 13) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Helping Hand**


	19. A Coordinated Showcase!

**A/N - In this also very short chapter, Lucas becomes curious about Contests and asks Summer to give him a demonstration. Hope you enjoy!**

As they continued down the grassy Route 34, Summer's thoughts were interrupted by an out of the blue question from Lucas.

"So, how do Contests work?" he asked.

"Well, the first round is called an appeal round." she told him. "In the appeal round, you show off your Pokémon and its moves as best you can and usually you are only allowed to use one Pokémon for the round, but on certain occasions, you can use two." she explained.

"And the next round?" Lucas prompted.

"The next round is for the Contest Battles." she answered. "In these rounds, eight Trainers go head to head and battle to the finals." she continued. "The goal of Trainers in these rounds is to either get your opponents points to zero or to faint the Pokémon within five minutes." she finished.

"Do you think you'd be able to give us a performance?" Lucas asked, wanting to see the display.

"Sure." she agreed. "Just give me some time to come up with a routine and I'll show you at lunchtime." she told him.

 **00**

"You ready, everyone!?" Summer yelled to her audience of Lucas and their Pokémon. "Eevee, Sunkern, show time!" she cheered as she threw two Poké Balls up into the air. Both Pokémon cheered simultaneously as they emerged from their Poké Balls.

"Eevee, start this off with Shadow Ball!" Summer commanded, thrusting her hand forward. Eevee formed a purple sphere with a black centre and shot it into the air. "Now, use Growth on it, Sunkern!" she called out. Sunkern formed a green orb above its sprouts and shot out a green beam of energy towards the attack. The attacks collided, causing an explosion of purple and green sparkles to shower the field.

"Now, use Hyper Voice and Absorb!" Summer commanded the two Pokémon. Eevee opened its mouth and screamed, causing a blue wave of energy to rush across the field. Sunkern's sprouts then glowed red and shot out a red beam of energy at the energy wave, causing a shower of glittering purple sparkles.

"Ta-Da!" she announced with a bow. Her audience erupted with cheers and applause.

"Woah! That was so cool Summer!" Lucas exclaimed in delight.

"That was nothing." she replied modestly, blushing a little. "You should see some of the displays that I've seen." she said nostalgically, with a small smile.

"They should definitely bring Contests to Adina." Lucas said with admiration. "It would probably bring a lot more people to the region as well." he continued, imagining more displays that could be shown.

"Let's camp here for the night and we'll set off towards Poplar City tomorrow." Summer said, making plans for the both of them.

That night, Summer fell asleep into a memory lane where she was travelling through Hoenn with her friends. But something was different. She could hear her friends complaining about her attitude towards adventure and her constant talking and enthusiasm, even though she wasn't present in the conversation.

"Like, does she ever shut up or calm down?" the black-haired girl asked rhetorically.

"I know. I only started travelling with her because she was going where I needed to be." the blue-haired boy replied. "I didn't think she'd be this annoying, though." he complained.

Summer shot straight up out of her sleep in a cold sweat and with shallow breaths.

"No, that's not right…" she muttered to herself. "He started travelling with me because he wanted me to show him around the region." she continued, her brows furrowing. "It's probably just my brain playing tricks on me since Lucas is similar to me when I started my adventure." she concluded before lying down and going back to sleep.

 **A/N - So, in this chapter, Summer explained how Contests work and gave Lucas a demonstration of the appeal rounds, which was mainly an excuse for me to see if I enjoyed writing Contest situations, and I do, so there may be a full Contest in a future chapter, who knows? I do ;). And at the end of the chapter, Summer had a little nightmare about her friends finding her annoying when she travelled through Hoenn. Next chapter, despite Summer's warnings, Lucas decides that he doesn't need to train and goofs off for a while. Will this have repercussions for Lucas when he battles the Poplar City Gym? Find out, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 16) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 17) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice**

 **Deerling (Summer Form) (Lv. 13) - Tackle, Growl, Sand Attack, Double Kick, +Synthesis**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 12) - Absorb, Growth, Endure, Ingrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 13) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Helping Hand**


	20. Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail!

**A/N - This chapter, Lucas decides to dick around for a bit instead of training, even though Summer warns him about not training properly. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas had decided that because he had won three Gym Badges, that he should have a day off from the adventuring and training. Summer wasn't so sure about it.

"Shouldn't you be training for the next Gym?" she asked Lucas, who was lying down on the grass, taking in the sun.

"Why should I?" he retorted. "I've won against all three Gym Leaders on my first try and I've defeated members of a potentially evil organization." he shrugged arrogantly.

"Maybe this Gym Leader will be tougher than the others that you've faced." she replied. "And with the Sisterhood of Chaos, you had help from Tendou and still only barely won." she scolded him, trying to convince him to train. "Who knows, maybe they'll have Pokémon that yours are weak against?" she questioned.

"Nah, it'll be fine…" Lucas said, shrugging off Summer's worries. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to rest." he said sharply.

"Fine." she replied, equally as sharp, and walked away.

 **00**

"Eevee, use Tackle one more time!" Summer commanded. Eevee then shot forward with a burst of speed, leaving white streaks behind it and crashed into the target.

"Woah, you learned Quick Attack?!" she exclaimed in delight. "Great work, Eevee!" she praised.

"Vee!" it cheered back.

"Good work today everyone!" Summer praised her Pokémon. She then got to work, making lunch for everyone. "Lunchtime!" she announced when she had finally finished. Everyone came rushing up to her at the announcement, including Lucas, who was looking as relaxed as ever.

"What's for lunch?" he asked nonchalantly. Summer then put a big bowl of stew in front of him.

"Thanks." he said. He then started shovelling down the food, as fast as he could, wanting to get back to relaxing.

"I still think you should be training, you know?" she told him as he ate.

"And I told you, it'll be fine." he said in between mouthfuls.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." she sighed in defeat.

 **00**

Lucas was laying on the grass, taking a nap, when in his dreams, he appeared in a stadium packed with people and he was facing off against Tendou in the final round of the Adina League. In front of him was a Froslass and across the battlefield, in front of Tendou was a Klinklang.

"Froslass, use Shadow Ball!" Lucas commanded. Froslass formed a purple sphere of energy that had a black centre and shot it towards the steel type.

"Avoid it with Magnet Rise!" Tendou countered. Klinklang's body glowed yellow and it rose off the ground, the Shadow Ball passing underneath it. "Now use Zap Cannon!" he continued. The blue sections on Klinklang's gears began to glow yellow and crackled with electricity as a yellow orb was formed in front of it. It then shot the orb at Froslass.

"Blizzard!" Lucas countered as the electric attack rushed over to Froslass. Froslass raised its arms above its head and brought them down, releasing a blizzard of snow across the field, putting a chill into that air. The blizzard rushed across the field, taking the Zap Cannon with it, and the two attacks slammed into Klinklang, leaving the stadium breathless with anticipation. The blizzard cleared. Klinklang was still conscious, but it started shaking, before falling to the ground with a clang.

"Klinklang is unable to battle, therefore the winners of the Adina League Tournament and moving to the Elite Four rounds are Lucas and Froslass." the referee announced. The entire stadium erupted with rapturous applause and cheers, and a chant broke out.

"Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!"

"Lucas, wake up!" Summer shouted, blending in with the chants.

"Huh?" Lucas asked, as he groggily opened his eyes to see Summer standing over him.

"We need to get going now if we want to get to Poplar City anytime soon." she told Lucas.

"Okay, okay." he said, as he got up. "Let's go win my fourth Gym Badge!" he cheered.

" _He definitely should have trained…"_ Summer thought to herself.

 **A/N - So, this chapter, Lucas decided to have a day off while Summer trained her Pokémon up a few levels. Lucas also had a dream about facing off against Tendou in the finals of the Adina League and winning, but that might not be the reality. Next chapter, Lucas gets to Poplar City and challenges the Gym Leader, but will the lack of training and his overconfidence be his downfall? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 16) - Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 17) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**


	21. An Earth-Shattering Defeat!

**A/N - This chapter, Lucas challenges the Poplar City Gym and the outcome is not one he expected. Hope you enjoy!**

Lucas and Summer exited the Pokémon Center and started following the directions to the Poplar City Gym that Nurse Joy had given them. As they walked through the dirt roads, passing a few mud huts, in silence, Lucas thought to himself.

" _This Gym is gonna be easy, just you wait, Summer."_ As he thought this, a smirk crept across his face. They eventually found the Gym building, identified by the symbol that was now familiar to the two. As they entered the building, the environment was much different from the previous Gyms. The ground on which the battlefield lay was made up completely of earth and mud and there were bumps in the battlefield, making it uneven. They looked around and saw that the walls of this Gym were a sandy colour. As Summer made her way to the bleachers, a manly voice came from nowhere, as a referee stepped onto her podium.

"I'm Gaius, the master of Ground types." the voice introduced as a man stepped forward. He had a mop of dirty blond hair, brown eyes and was wearing a black T-shirt with a donkey-like Pokémon emblazoned on it, blue skinny jeans and black sneakers. "You need to be tough if you wanna get past my defenses." Gaius continued. The referee spoke up.

"This will be a three-on-three battle between Gaius, the Gym Leader, and Lucas Young, of Enevca Town. The battle will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to battle. Do you accept these rules?" she asked, after announcing the rules.

"Yes!" Lucas affirmed.

"Now, let's battle!" Gaius yelled as he threw a Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged from the device was bipedal. Most of its underside was light yellow with a white underbelly. It also had a narrow muzzle, almond-shaped blue eyes, and a thick tail. Its back was mostly covered in brown, sharp quills formed from its tough, dry hide. It also had two large claws on its paws and feet. Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokémon." it stated, an image of the Pokémon on its screen. "Its claws and spikes can both break off and are shed regularly, but grow back quickly. It can curl into a large ball to protect its white underbelly." it continued. "In this position, it can roll to attack or escape and protect itself from heatstroke. Sandslash is also adept at climbing trees, and is prone to ambush its enemies from above." it finished.

"Bunnelby, I choose you!" Lucas called out as he threw his own Poké Ball.

"Bun." it snapped as it emerged from the device, flexing its ears and narrowing its eyes.

"Sandslash, start with Swift!" Gaius commanded. Sandslash then rolled into a ball and spun, shooting yellow stars from its quills at Bunnelby.

"Avoid it with Dig!" Lucas yelled. Bunnelby dug a hole in the ground and jumped into it, the stars passing over it. As Lucas was about to issue another command, the stars turned around and followed Bunnelby into the hole.

"How?!" Lucas exclaimed in shock that his strategy didn't work. At that moment, Bunnelby shot up from under the ground and started plummeting towards the ground.

"Spin and use Take Down!" Lucas commanded, snapping out of his shock. Bunnelby's body then became shrouded in a golden aura and became surrounded by a light bronze energy before it started spinning like a drill, which caused streaks of gold and bronze to trail behind it. It slammed into Sandslash as the ground type stopped spinning, forming a crater in the ground. Sandslash and Bunnelby got out of the crater, Sandslash looking healthy. Blue sparks then appeared around Bunnelby and the Pokémon slumped forward.

"Bunnelby is unable to battle!" the ref called.

"Bunnelby, return." Lucas said with a sigh. "Cyndaquil, fire up!" he yelled as he threw his second Poké Ball.

"Cynda!" the Pokémon cheered.

"Smokescreen, let's go!" Lucas commanded, throwing his right arm to the side. Cyndaquil released a cloud of thick, black smoke across the battlefield, obscuring everyone's vision. "Follow up with Quick Attack!" he called. Cyndaquil shot forward in a burst of speed, white streaks trailing behind it, and went into the cloud.

"Crush Claw!" Gaius countered. Cyndaquil was sent soaring through the air, out of the cloud and crashed into the wall behind Lucas.

"Cyndaquil is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"Cyndaquil, return." Lucas said, withdrawing his second Pokémon. "You battled hard." he praised. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he shouted, throwing his final Poké Ball.

"Sno!" it cheered as it was released.

"Snorunt, let's give it our all." Lucas proposed to the Pokémon.

"Sno." the Pokémon replied, a fierce look on its face.

"Sandslash, use Swift!" Gaius commanded.

"Icy Wind!" Lucas countered. As Sandslash spun and shot out the yellow stars, Snorunt released a blue, sparkling powder across the field, freezing the stars in place. "Now send 'em back!" he followed up. Snorunt took a deep breath and expelled the air which had pieces of frost following the air current, and blew all the stars towards Sandslash.

"Use Crush Claw to destroy them!" Gaius yelled in desperation. Sandslash's claws glowed blue and the Pokémon started destroying the ice stars.

"Ice Shard." Lucas said confidently. Snorunt opened its mouth and formed multiple shards of ice and shot them at the pre-occupied Sandslash. Each one slammed into the Pokémon and the attack finished to reveal a fainted Sandslash.

"Sandslash is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"Sandslash, return." Gaius said. "Diggersby, you're up next!" he shouted, throwing his second Poké Ball. A large Pokémon was revealed as the blue light dissipated. It resembled a portly rabbit. It had two ears, which were each crowned with a massive, muscular forearm, complete with three-fingered paws. The ears were furry and mostly grey in colouration, with a pink inner pinna, whereas the paws at the ends of the ears were brown. Three spots of brown fur surrounded each of the ear-wrists. The other four limbs growing from its round, grey torso were small in comparison to the ears. The fur of the upper paws was white, while the feet were brown. A sash-like band composed of thicker, woolly fur surrounded its waist, where it tucked its paws in. This sash was sectioned brown on its sides and yellow at its front and back; its short tail was also yellow, protruding from the back section of the sash. Its face was dominated by a large brown muzzle, resembling stubble. Two large front teeth protruded from its wide mouth and three whiskers decorated each cheek. Its eyes were perpetually squinting and it seemed to favour a slightly furrowed brow. Lucas took out his PokéDex again.

"Diggersby, the Digging Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bunnelby." it stated, showing Lucas an image of it. "Diggersby can easily lift a boulder weighing over a tonne with its powerful ears." it continued.

"Snorunt, can you go on?" Lucas asked.

"Sno." it confirmed as it breathed heavily.

"Diggersby, use Mud Shot!" Gaius yelled. Diggersby's mouth opened and started to glow orange. It then fired multiple balls of mud at Snorunt.

"Icy Wind!" Lucas countered. Snorunt opened its mouth and just as it sent out the sparkling blue powder, the balls of mud slammed into it, and it rolled to Lucas' feet.

"Snorunt is unable to battle!" the ref called. "Therefore, the winners of this round and the match are Gaius and Diggersby!" she declared.

"Snorunt, return." Lucas said sadly.

"I'll be ready for a rematch anytime!" Gaius called as Lucas and Summer walked out of the Gym.

"I hate to say 'I told you so', buut…" she said to Lucas.

"I don't understand…" he sighed. "I should have won, I was powerful enough to beat the other three…" he continued.

"Look, there's no point dwelling on the past." Summer interrupted. "With some training, I'm sure you'll get 'em next time." she assured.

"Thanks, Summer." he replied.

"No problem." she said with a smile.

 **A/N - Yep, Lucas finally had his first loss to a Gym Leader; anyone who read the chapter title probably saw that coming. Guess he should have listened to Summer, right? Next chapter, Lucas and Summer meet someone new while searching for a Pokémon for Lucas' rematch. Who is this new person? Are they friend or foe? And what Pokémon will Lucas catch? Find out next, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 17) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Cyndaquil (Lv. 17) - Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**


	22. Eventful Events!

**A/N - No, I'm not dead. I've just been slammed with college coursework and stuff like that so I've kind of been neglecting the story for a while, but I'm back. not only that I'm givig you multiple chapters as compensation. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Light Flame Blast - Yeah, that's my bad. I usually put them there so I know what the chapter's about, but I forgot to remove them. From now on, any author notes before the chapter will be to respond to reviews and to declare the start of a new arc and stuff like that.**

Lucas and Summer had gone back to Route 34 to look for a Pokémon to add to Lucas' team. Suddenly, they heard a loud boom in the distance. They ran towards the source of the noise and found a blond boy. He had dark skin, his hair was moppy, and he was wearing a grey T-shirt underneath an open shirt. He was also wearing frayed blue jeans and black sneakers.

"Let's go Poké Ball" he yelled, throwing the device. Lucas and Summer didn't get a chance to see the Pokémon that he was battling as the device pinged instantly. The boy then felt two pairs of eyes watching him and turned to face the direction in which Lucas and Summer were.

"You can come out now!" he called to the empty space. Lucas and Summer stepped out of their hiding place, rubbing their necks sheepishly. Getting a closer look, Lucas noticed that the boy's eyes were brown.

"That sounded like an intense battle." Lucas said, almost impressed.

"Thanks." the boy replied. "The name's Mitch." he introduced.

"Nice to meet you!" Lucas and Summer greeted simultaneously.

"I'm Lucas." Lucas introduced himself.

"And I'm Summer." she said.

"Nice to meet you too." Mitch returned.

"Hey," Lucas started.

"Yeah?" Mitch answered.

"Do you mind helping us look for a Pokémon?" Lucas asked. "I kinda need one for my Gym Battle." he stated.

"Sure." Mitch agreed.

 **00**

"Hey, Mitch," Lucas started.

"Yeah?" Mitch responded.

"I'd like to know more about you." he answered. "Where are you from?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm actually from the Alola region to the west of here." Mitch answered.

"Alola?" Summer questioned. "I've never heard of it, is it nice there?" she asked.

"I mean, I guess it is since there are a load of tourists throughout the year, so it must have some appeal," he explained. "But when you've lived there your whole life, it kinda loses it's charm, y'know? he continued. "So, what type of Pokémon are you looking for?" Mitch asked, attempting to change the subject..

"Hopefully a water type so I can wreck this Gym." Lucas said, his hands clenching into fists. They were then interrupted by a spray of bubbles hitting them all. They all turned to the source of the attack in anger to find a Pokémon resembling a spider standing there. The most prominent feature of this Pokémon was the water bubble that was covering its head; this was attached to the thorax by three thin, green projections. Its body was primarily light green with three thin, green legs, and a grey abdomen with a small stinger on the bottom. It also had a large, grey face with large blue oval-shaped eyes. It had two small blue spikes on its forehead and yellow mouth.

"Hey, a Dewpider!" Mitch called out, recognising the Pokémon.

"A what?" Summer asked. This prompted Lucas to take out his PokéDex.

"Dewpider, the Water Bubble Pokémon." it stated, bringing up an image of the Pokémon standing in front of them. "Dewpider can only breathe oxygen dissolved in water. The bubble serves as a means of protection to Dewpider's soft head and allows it to breathe on land." it continued. "When meeting another of its kind, the bubble are compared and the one with the smaller bubble gets out of the others way." it finished.

"Cyndaquil, fire up!" Lucas yelled, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Cynda!" it yelled as it hopped out of the device. Dewpider then shot out several globs of a sticky material which landed across the ground, each glob turning into a net.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember!" Lucas commanded. Cyndaquil shot out a stream of fire pellets towards Dewpider. Dewpider then shot out a stream of bubbles from the large bubble on its head as a counter. The two attacks collided in a big cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared.

"Cyndaquil, use Quick Attack!" Lucas yelled. Cyndaquil shot forward in a burst of speed, white streaks trailing behind it, and slammed into Dewpider, sending it skidding across the ground. Dewpider rushed back up to Cyndaquil and brought up two claws that were glowing blue and slashed Cyndaquil across the face, sending it soaring through the air, and crashing into the ground at Lucas' feet. It then got up shakily, and then became enveloped in a blinding blue light. Cyndaquil's form began to elongate, putting it onto all fours. The blue light dissipated to reveal a slim, quadruped; the top half of its body was blue and its lower half was cream. Its ears were triangular with red insides, and it possessed a rounded nose and red eyes. It also had five red spots on its body, two in an exclamation like pattern on its forehead, and three lined up horizontally on its rear.

"Cyndaquil evolved?!" everyone exclaimed in shock. Lucas took out his PokéDex to scan the new Pokémon.

"Quilava, the Volcano Pokémon." it stated, showing Lucas an image. "The fire coming from its head can be used a flame attack." it continued. "It can also use gusts of superheated air as a battle technique." it finished.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel!" Lucas called out, reinvigorated. Quilava then started to topspin while covering itself in flames and rolled over to Dewpider, slamming into it, knocking it to the ground.

"Go Poké Ball!" Lucas yelled, throwing the device. The device hit Dewpider, turning it into a red energy. The Poké Ball landed on the ground and began to wobble. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. PING! Lucas rushed over to the device and held it aloft.

"I just caught… a Dewpider!" he cheered as he struck a pose.

"Nice goin' Rookie." Summer complimented. "You'll definitely beat Gaius now." she assured him.

"Alright, let's go!" he cheered before running off to Poplar City.

 **A/N - So our heroes met a new person by the name of Mitch, who helped them look for Lucas' next Pokémon, which turned out to be a Dewpider. Cyndaquil evolved into Quilava in a battle with the Dewpider. Evolution in this story will mostly depend on level, but they won't always evolve straight away when that level is reached and sometimes there will be an evolution before the usual level. Next chapter, Lucas rematches Gaius, but will his team update help him gain victory? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 17) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 18) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Ember, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 18) - Bug Bite, Sticky Web, Bubble Beam, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**


	23. An Earth-Shattering Victory!

The trio of Lucas, Summer, and Mitch walked into the Gym, to be greeted by Gaius.

"You're back, I see." the Gym Leader stated.

"Yep, and this time I'm gonna win!" Lucas told him.

"Same rules as last time?" Gaius asked.

"Sure." Lucas agreed.

"Battle begin!" the referee declared.

"Let's bug 'em out Dewpider!" Lucas yelled as he threw a Poké Ball.

"Sandslash, let's battle!" Gaius cried out, throwing his own Poké Ball.

"Dewpider, use Bubble Beam!" Lucas commanded, throwing his right arm to the side. Dewpider then shot out a stream of bubbles towards Sandslash.

"Pop 'em with Swift!" Gaius countered. Sandslash spun and shot out a load of yellow stars from its quills and they started popping the bubbles.

"Follow up with Water Pulse!" Lucas cried out. Dewpider formed a sphere of water in front of its bubble and shot it at Sandslash. The attack washed over Sandslash, leaving the Pokémon breathing heavily.

"Sandslash, use Crush Claw!" Gaius commanded, thrusting his hand forward. Sandslash rushed over to Dewpider and was about to strike it with glowing blue claws.

"Bug Bite!" Dewpider leaned forward and enveloped the ground type in the head bubble and bit down on the Pokémon. Sandslash then slumped forward, unconscious.

"Sandslash is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"Sandslash, return." Gaius said. "You deserve a long rest." he praised. "That's just one." he stated, addressing Lucas "Things aren't going to go your way anymore! Cubone, let's go!" he cried out, throwing a second Poké Ball. the Pokémon that emerged from the blue light was small and bipedal. It wore a skull on its head that acted as a mask. It was primarily a sandy brown colour with a white stomach. It was also holding a bone in its left hand. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Cubone, the Bone Mask Pokémon." it stated, the screen showing an image of the Pokémon. "It is said the skull it wears on its head belongs to its mother." it said.

"Cubone, use Bonemerang!" Gaius cried out. Cubone then threw its bone club at Dewpider, the bone spinning in the air.

"Dodge it!" Lucas exclaimed. Dewpider jumped over the bone, leaving it to pass underneath. Dewpider landed and the bone slammed into the bug type from behind, knocking it onto the ground.

"Dewpider!" Lucas exclaimed in concern. Dewpider then stood up and glared daggers at Cubone. "Alright, use Water Pulse!" Lucas commanded. Dewpider summoned a sphere of water and shot it across the battlefield.

"Knock it back with Bone Club!" Gaius countered. The bone that Cubone was holding then turned blue as Cubone whacked the water sphere sending it back across the battlefield.

"Absorb it with your bubble!" Lucas yelled. Dewpider bowed its head as the sphere splashed into the large bubble.

"Let's finish this!" the two exclaimed simultaneously.

"Dewpider, use Aurora Beam!" Lucas yelled.

"Cubone, use Iron Head!" Gaius yelled at the same time. Cubone charged forward towards Dewpider as the skull turned metallic, while Dewpider shot out a thin beam of icy-blue energy at Cubone. The two attacks collided, dust shooting up. The dust cleared to reveal two Pokémon lying on the ground. One of them then shakily stood up.

"Cubone is unable to battle!" the ref declared.

"Cubone return." Gaius said, withdrawing the Pokémon. "Diggersby, it's up to you!" he yelled, throwing his final Poké Ball.

"DiggersBYYYYYY!" the rabbit roared.

"This is my toughest Pokémon!" Gaius called over to Lucas. "You're not gonna win!" he challenged.

"Oh yeah?" Lucas asked rhetorically. "Dewpider, use Sticky Web!" he commanded. Dewpider then started shooting several globs of sticky material.

"Thunder Punch." Gaius commanded calmly. Diggersby started charging towards Dewpider, one if its ears crackling with electricity, when one the globs of sticky material hit Diggersby and turned into a web, trapping the ground type.

"Now use X-Scissor!" Lucas shouted.

"Thunder Punch again!" Gaius yelled. Diggersby's ear started crackling with electricity once again as Dewpider rushed up to the rabbit, front legs raised and glowing blue. The two attacks collided, sending Dewpider soaring through the air landing roughly behind Lucas.

"Dewpider is unable to battle!" the ref called out.

"Dewpider, return." Lucas said with a sad smile. "You did everything I needed." he praised. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he yelled, throwing a second Poké Ball. "Use Icy Wind!" he then commanded. Snorunt released a sparkling blue powder that froze the web that was holding Diggersby in place.

"Destroy it with your ears!" Gaius yelled, wanting to free his Pokémon. Diggersby then started to punch the frozen web with its ears.

"Use Double Team and Leer!" Lucas yelled, taking advantage of the opportunity. Snorunt rushed up to Diggersby, creating multiple clones of itself and made a sinister face all around Diggersby, a deep blue ring of energy appearing around the ground type briefly.

"Double Kick!" Gaius commanded, as the ice web shattered. Diggersby then took its glowing foot and slammed it into Snorunt, sending it crashing into Lucas' chest.

"Snorunt, you good?" he asked.

"Snoo!" it cheered, jumping out of Lucas' arms.

"Use Avalanche!" Lucas commanded, thrusting his hand forwards.

"Quick Attack!" Gaius yelled. Diggersby shot forward, leaving white streaks trailing behind it and crashed into Snorunt, slamming it into the wall.

"Snorunt is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"Snorunt, return!" Lucas called. "We're gonna win this." he said to the Poké Ball. "Quilava, fire up!" he yelled, throwing his final Poké Ball with his signature throw.

"Quiiilll!" it cheered, doing a somersault as it leapt out of the device.

"That Diggersby sure is strong…" Summer noted in awe.

"I wonder how much training they've had…" Mitch said.

"Let's kick this off with Flame Wheel!" Lucas shouted. Quilava covered itself in flames and started to topspin. It then rolled over to Diggersby, crashing into it. Diggersby then picked up Quilava in its ears and held it aloft.

"Throw it and use Mud Shot!" Gaius cried out. Diggersby's mouth then began to glow orange and it threw Quilava high into the air before it shot several balls of mud at the fire type.

"Smokescreen, then Headbutt!" Lucas countered. As Quilava was plummeting, it released a thick, black cloud of smoke, causing the Mud Shot to miss. Quilava then started plummeting faster, going head first. The fire type slammed into Diggersby, the impact causing the smoke to clear. The two Pokémon were standing still, breathing heavily.

"Quick Attack!" they yelled simultaneously. The two Pokémon shot towards each other at full speed, white streaks trailing behind them. They slammed into each other, sending the two skidding back to their Trainers. Diggersby then fell face first onto the ground.

"Diggersby is unable to battle!" the ref called out. "Therefore, the winners of this round and the battle are Lucas and Quilava!" she declared. As she said this, Quilava slumped onto the ground, unconscious.

"NOOOO!" Gaius wailed. "How could I lose?!" he asked incredulously. He then withdrew Diggersby, praising the Pokémon. He then walked over to Lucas calmly. "I gave it everything I got and I still lost." he stated. "This proves that you are powerful enough to possess this badge. Gaius then handed Lucas a small badge that was in the shape of a mountain with a brown rock face and white, snowy tops. "That's the Gaia Badge." Gaius told Lucas. "You definitely proved me wrong." he complimented.

Lucas then held the badge aloft, struck a pose and cheered.

"I just got… the Gaia Badge!"

"You're halfway there now, right Rookie?" Summer asked as she and Mitch walked up to them.

"Yeah, I'll be Champion of the Adina region in no time!" Lucas cheered in response.

"Hey, Gaius," Lucas addressed the Gym Leader.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Do you know where the next Gym is?" Lucas asked him.

"It's in Sitka City, directly north of here." he told them.

"Thank you!" the trio called as they walked out of the Gym. They then made their way to the Pokémon Center and healed their Pokémon. That night in Lucas' room, he made a series of taps on his X-Transceiver and called up his mum and Professor Blossom.

"Hey, Mum. Hey, Professor Blossom." he greeted them.

"Hi, Lucas." they greeted back.

"How far on your journey are you now?" his mother asked.

"I'm in Poplar City, and I've just won my fourth Gym Badge." he told her proudly.

"And how many Pokémon do you have?" Professor Blossom asked.

"I've got a team of four at the moment." he answered. "One of them even evolved recently." he told them excitedly. "I'm halfway there." he told them with a wide grin. There was a loud crash that came from Professor Blossom's audio feed, causing the three to sweatdrop.

"I better go take care of that…" Professor Blossom told them, before hanging up.

"I'm proud of you Lucas, you know that?" his mum asked, now the two were alone. Lucas rolled his eyes at the question. "I can see you, you know?" she asked rhetorically, Lucas sweat-dropping.

"Thanks, Mum." he said. "It's getting pretty late, I should probably go to bed now." he told her.

"Alright, be safe!" she told him before hanging up, leaving Lucas alone.

" _Four more badges and I can compete in the Adina League…_ " he contemplated. " _And I'm gonna win!_ " he promised himself.

 **A/N - That's arc number four written. Only eight more to go… This chapter, Lucas finally beat Gaius and earned his fourth badge. Although, if you read the chapter title, it was pretty obvious. Next chapter, Lucas and Mitch have a battle. But for what reason? Who will win? Find out next time, as the journey continues.**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 17) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 19) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 17) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Slap, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 20) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bubble Beam, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**


	24. Lucas VS Mitch! A Battle of Skills!

"This will be a four versus four battle between Lucas and Mitch!" Summer announced. "The battle will be over when all four Pokémon on either side are unable to battle!" she told them. "Choose your Pokémon!" she instructed.

"Banette, let's give 'em a fright!" Mitch yelled as he threw a Poké Ball. The device popped open to reveal a grey puppet-like creature that had reddish-pink eyes and a zipped mouth. Its legs were stubby and its arms were long and cloth-like. It had a short, yellow tail that resembled the end of a broom. There were three protrusions on its head, two small ones to the sides that acted as ears and one larger in the middle. There was also a fourth, cloth-like protrusion coming from the back of its head that had a zigzag-like end. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the unfamiliar Pokémon in front of him

"Banette, the Marionette Pokémon." it stated, an image on the screen. "Strong feelings of hatred turned a puppet into a Pokémon." it continued. "If it opens its mouth, its cursed energy escaped." it finished.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill" Lucas shouted as he threw his own Poké Ball.

"Sno!" it cheered eagerly upon emerging from the light.

"Battle begin!" Summer yelled.

"Banette, use Shadow Punch!" Mitch yelled. Banette raised its arm, crackling with purple energy, formed a fist and punched the air, sending a black fist surrounded by purple energy at Snorunt.

"Ice Shard!" Lucas countered. Snorunt then formed multiple shards of ice and shot a barrage of them at Banette and the black fist. The black fist flew underneath the barrage of ice and cracked Snorunt in the face, sending it skidding across the battlefield. The barrage of ice shards then slammed into Banette, kicking up dust. The dust cleared to reveal the ghost type still standing.

"Use Sucker Punch!" Mitch commanded. Banette then rushed over Snorunt and readied itself to punch the ice type.

"Double Team and Leer!" Lucas yelled, thrusting his hand forward. As Banette went to punch Snorunt, the ice type made multiple clones of itself, causing Banette to punch through one of the clones, that disappeared. The remaining clones surrounded Banette and made a sinister face at the ghost type. A deep blue ring of energy then appeared around Banette briefly.

"Wrap this up with Icy Wind!" Lucas shouted, throwing his right arm to the side. Snorunt released a sparkling blue powder across the field at Banette.

"Destiny Bond!" Mitch yelled. Banette's body then became outlined in purple briefly. The blue powder then covered Banette, freezing it over. Banette's eyes were swirls, but then swirling purple lights came out of the eyes and rushed over to Snorunt. Snorunt then slumped forward, unconscious.

"Banette and Snorunt are unable to battle!" Summer announced.

"Return!" Lucas and Mitch called simultaneously.

"Skarmory, it's time to strike! I choose you!" Mitch then shouted, throwing a second Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged from the device was silver-grey and avian with a long metallic blue neck, legs and tail. It had yellow eyes, a pointed beak with several pointed teeth, and a triangular crest on its head. There were red feathers underneath the sheaths that covered its sharp wings. Its feet had three toes on them, two in front and one in the back and its tail had hooked ends. This prompted Lucas to take out his PokéDex a second time.

"Skarmory, the Armour Bird Pokémon." it stated, showing Lucas a still image of the Pokémon that was flying in the air. "Its steel wings become tattered and bashed in from repeated battles, but once a year the battered wings grow back completely. This process restores the cutting edges. Its feathers are sharp enough to be used as blades. " it continued. "Its wings are actually hollow, allowing it to travel up to 180mph (300km/h)." it finished.

"Quilava, fire up!" Lucas yelled, throwing his second Poké Ball.

"Quuuuiiiilll!" it cheered as it somersaulted out of the device. "Lava!" it cheered upon landing.

"Start this off with Flame Wheel, Quilava!" Lucas commanded. Quilava then covered itself in flames and started to topspin and started rolling towards Skarmory.

"Fly high and then use Spikes!" Mitch commanded. Skarmory then raised its altitude so that Quilava missed the attack. The steel type then started spinning rapidly, multiple glowing red spikes coming out of its body and landing on the ground. The spikes then sank into the ground, disappearing from sight. "Now follow up with Steel Wing!" Mitch yelled. Skarmory then entered a nose dive, its wings glowing white.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Lucas shouted. Quilava then flared up its flames and released a spiralling stream of red-orange fire at the oncoming Skarmory. Skarmory dove straight into the attack becoming scorched. "Now use Flame Wheel!" Lucas continued. Quilava then began to topspin as it covered itself in flames. It then rolled over to Skarmory and slammed into it, the steel type crashing to the ground.

"Skarmory is unable to battle!" Summer called out.

"Skarmory, return." Mitch said, withdrawing his Pokémon. "You did exactly what I needed." he praised. "Monferno, flame on!" he then cried out, throwing a third Poké Ball. The Pokémon that was revealed once the blue light had dissipated was bipedal and primate-like. Orange fur covered most of its body, except for its ears, muzzle, fingers, circular areas on its palms, feet, and chest, which were tan. A small tuft of fur extended from the top of its head, and it has oval, brown eyes. Its eyes had a thick blue marking above and a small, red marking in-between. Its muzzle was short and blunt, with two small, pointed teeth in its upper jaw. There was a white ruff of fur around its neck and gold bands around its arms near its shoulders. It had five fingers on each hand, but only three toes on each foot. Its long tail had a red ring around the base and a flame burning at the tip. Lucas also scanned this Pokémon.

"Monferno, the Playful Pokémon." it stated, an image of the Pokémon on its screen. "The flame on Monferno's tail has several purposes. It can be controlled to keep opponents at an ideal distance or stretched in order to make Monferno appear larger. The size of its flame, in combination with the brightness of its facial marking, indicates this Pokémon's position in its pack." it continued. "The bigger the flame and the brighter the pattern, this higher the Pokémon's position. In addition to using its flaming tail as a weapon, Monferno can also leap from ceilings or walls to perform aerial attacks." it finished.

"Quilava, use Headbutt!" Lucas cried out.

"Mach Punch!" Mitch countered. As Quilava started charging towards Monferno with its head bent low, Monferno rushed forward, one of its fists glowing blue and cracked Quilava across the face.

"Quilava is unable to battle!" Summer declared.

"Quilava, return." Lucas said with a sad sigh. "Bunnelby, I choose you!" he then yelled. The device popped open and Bunnelby flexed its ears in a display of strength.

"Bunnelby, use Dig!" Lucas commanded. Bunnelby then dug a hole and dove into it.

"Follow it and use Mach Punch!" Mitch yelled. Monferno then dove into the hole after Bunnelby, one of its fists glowing blue.

"Agility!" Lucas countered. Bunnelby then shot out of the ground, crying out in pain. "Now use Take Down and spin!" Lucas continued. Bunnelby's body then became shrouded in a golden aura and became surrounded by a light bronze energy before it started spinning like a drill, which caused streaks of gold and bronze to trail behind it.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Mitch commanded. As Bunnelby shot towards the ground, Monferno shot out a stream of spiralling, red-orange fire at Bunnelby. Bunnelby collided with the attack, the two stuck in midair. Bunnelby then shot through the flames and slammed into Monferno, sending it soaring through the air and crashing behind Lucas.

"Monferno, finish this with Brick Break!" Mitch shrieked. Monferno's hands then began to glow a bluish white as it sped over to Bunnelby.

"Catch it!" Lucas yelled in desperation. As Monferno was about to crack Bunnelby in the face, the normal type caught Monferno's hands. "Follow up with Double Slap!" Lucas shouted. Bunnelby then started to slap Monferno over and over. It then threw it into the air and cracked the fire type in the stomach, sending it crashing into Mitch.

"Monferno is unable to battle!" Summer announced.

"Return." Mitch said. "You battled hard." he praised. "Let's give 'em a shock Zebstrika!" he yelled, throwing his final Poké Ball. The zebra-like Pokémon that emerged started swiping at the ground, ready for battle. Its coat was black with white, jagged stripes all over its body. There was one pointed stripe extending from its nose, two elaborate stripes on its neck and chest, one zigzag stripe each on its jaws, back, and hindquarters, one triangular stripe on each of its thighs, and two stripes that banded each of its legs. Its ears were triangular with blue insides, while its eyes were blue with yellow sclera and white eyelashes. Its nose was black, and its hooves were grey. A white, spiked mane ran the length of its body, beginning with two horn-like extensions on its forehead and running down its back to end in a long tail with a starburst-shaped tip. Lucas then took out his PokéDex for a final time.

"Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokémon." it stated, an image of the Pokémon on its screen. "This irritable Pokémon fires lightning bolts from its mane when angry." it continued. "Zebstrika can move as quickly as lightning, releasing thunderclaps at full gallop." it finished.

"Bunnelby, use Mud Slap!" Lucas commanded. Bunnelby then slammed its ears into the ground and brought them out holding two brown balls of mud.

"Zebstrika use Shock Wave!" Mitch countered. All the white parts on Zebstrika's body began to glow yellow with electricity. Then, an orb of yellow electricity formed in between the top two spikes on top of Zebstrika's mane. The orb then finished charging, Zebstrika then fired a jagged beam of yellow electricity from the orb at Bunnelby as the normal type threw the two balls of mud. The beam of electricity flew straight through the balls of mud and into Bunnelby.

"Zebstrika, use Thunderbolt!" Mitch yelled. Zebstrika's body then began to spark with electricity as it fired a powerful bolt of lightning at Bunnelby.

"Dodge it with Dig!" Lucas cried out. Bunnelby then dove into the hole that it had made earlier, the lightning bolt passing over it harmlessly. "Now follow up with Quick Attack!" he yelled. Bunnelby then shot out of the ground, white streaks trailing behind it and slammed into Zebstrika, sending the electric type into the air.

"Use the momentum for Flame Charge!" Mitch screamed. Zebstrika's body then became surrounded in an orb of red and yellow flames. It then shot forward and slammed into Bunnelby, the normal type smashing into the ground forming a small crater. A red ring of energy then appeared around Zebstrika briefly as it landed.

"Bunnelby, use Quick Attack!" Lucas commanded.

"Counter with Stomp!" Mitch yelled. Bunnelby shot forward with a burst of speed with white streaks trailing behind it and was about to slam into Zebstrika when the electric type reared up on its back legs and brought its two raised hooves down on Bunnelby, stopping the Pokémon in its tracks and kicking up a plume of dust. The dust cleared.

"Bunnelby is unable to battle!" Summer called out.

"Bunnelby, return." Lucas said. "Let's bug 'em out Dewpider!" he yelled throwing his final Poké Ball. "Start with an Aurora Beam, Dewpider!" he commanded. Dewpider then created a glowing bluish green orb from its head bubble and then launched a glowing green and black beam at Zebstrika.

"Thunderbolt!" Mitch countered. Zebstrika's body then sparked with electricity before it fired a bolt of lightning at the attack. The lightning bolt pushed against the ice attack and overpowered it, shocking Dewpider.

"Dewpider, no!" Lucas cried. Dewpider then turned back to Lucas and gave him a nod. "Alright!" he cheered. "Use Leech Life!" he yelled. Dewpider then rushed over to Zebstrika.

"Zebstrika use Stomp!" Mitch commanded. Zebstrika then reared up on its hind legs. This caused Lucas to smirk, drawing a furrowed brow from Mitch.

"Use Sticky Web on the front hooves!" Lucas shrieked, thrusting his hand forward. Dewpider then looked up and shot a glob of sticky material at Zebstrika's front hooves and the glob turned into a web, trapping the two hooves.

"Use Flame Charge!" Mitch commanded. Zebstrika then tried to swipe at the ground, but its hooves were restrained.

"Finish this with Leech Life!" Lucas screamed, throwing his right arm to the side. Dewpider then enveloped part of Zebstrika's leg in its head bubble and bit down on the leg, Zebstrika crying out in pain. The attack finished revealing Dewpider standing tall with renewed energy. Zebstrika then fell onto its knees.

"Zebstrika, can you keep going?" Mitch asked in concern. Zebstrika then reared up and fired a lightning bolt from its mane into the air. "Wrap this up with Thunderbolt!" he screamed, thrusting both hands forward. Zebstrika's body began to crackle with electricity once more before it fired a streaking bolt of lightning at Dewpider.

"Counter with Water Pulse!" Lucas the bolt of lightning made its way over to Dewpider, the bug type created an orb of water from its bubble and shot it at Zebstrika. The two attacks hit their targets, causing an explosion.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle!" Summer announced. "The winners are Lucas and Dewpider!" she declared.

"Return!" Lucas and Mitch called simultaneously, praising their Pokémon.

"That was a tough battle." Lucas said, slightly impressed.

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself." Mitch complimented.

"So, we had a deal?" Summer asked walking up to them.

"Are you going to travel with us?" Lucas asked.

"I'm a man of my word." Mitch said. "And besides, I would've travelled with you even if I won." he admitted. "It gets lonely on the road, you know?" he asked rhetorically.

"Alright, let's rest up and then it's on to Sitka City and my fifth Gym Badge!" Lucas cheered. The trio then walked back into the Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon.

 **A/N - There we go, Mitch is now officially travelling with Lucas and Summer due to the deal they had and Lucas winning the battle. Will this affect the character dynamics? Next chapter, there's another evolution, but whose Pokémon is it? What Pokémon is it? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 17) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 20) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Bunnelby (Lv. 18) - Agility, Take Down, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**


	25. An Ever-Evolving Team!

The trio were making their way up the rocky and mountainous Route 11, they came across a hiker who challenged Lucas to a one-on-one battle.

"Go Geodude!" the hiker yelled as he threw his Poké Ball. The device popped open to reveal a grey boulder-like Pokémon. It had bulging, rocky eyebrows and trapezoidal, brown eyes. Its arms were muscular with five-fingered hands.

"Hey, a Geodude." Summer said. Lucas then took out his PokéDex and scanned the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Geodude, the Rock Pokémon." it stated, showing Lucas an image of the Pokémon that was sat there. "Geodude uses its arms to climb steadily up steep mountain paths. Geodude is proud of its sturdy body and will bash against others of its kind in a contest of sorts to prove whose body is harder." it continued. "The longer it lives, the more chipped and worn its body becomes." it finished.

"Bunnelby, I choose you!" Lucas shouted as threw a Poké Ball.

"Bun." it snapped at Geodude as it flexed its ears.

"You can have the first move." Lucas told the hiker.

"Alright. Geodude use Rollout!" the hiker commanded. Geodude then curled into a ball and started rolling towards Bunnelby.

"Bunnelby dodge it with Dig!" Lucas yelled. Bunnelby dug a hole in the ground and dove into it, dodging the attack.

"Follow it!" the hiker screamed. Geodude then rolled into the hole after Bunnelby.

"Agility!" Lucas countered. Bunnelby shot out of the hole showing no signs of damage. "Noe spin and use Take Down!" he yelled. Bunnelby's body then became shrouded in a golden aura, and then became surrounded by a light bronze energy before it started spinning like a drill, which caused streaks of gold and bronze to trail behind it.

"Iron Defense!" the hiker shrieked. Geodude then crossed its arms over its body and shined a metallic silver as Bunnelby slammed into Geodude.

"Bunnelby use Mud Shot!" Lucas commanded, throwing his right arm to the side. Bunnelby then created a golden sphere in between its ears. The sphere then split into several balls of mud. Bunnelby then shot the balls of mud at Geodude.

"Hit 'em back with Fire Punch!" the hiker countered. Geodude's fists then became ignited with flames and punched the balls of mud sending them crashing into Bunnelby who dropped to its knees.

"Bunnelby!" Lucas cried. Bunnelby stood up shakily and became enveloped in a blinding blue light.

"Bunnelby's evolving!" Mitch yelled. Bunnelby's form then enlarged and grew taller. The blinding light dissipated to reveal a Diggersby. Diggersby then became outlined in yellow before slamming its ears in the ground, glowing gold crack then travelled at Geodude and went underneath the rock type, causing it to fall to the ground unconscious.

"Geodude, no!" the hiker cried out.

"Diggersby return." Lucas said with a smile. "You deserve a long rest." he praised. He then walked up to the hiker and stuck out his hand. "That was a good battle." he complimented. The hiker then took Lucas' hand and shook it.

"I look forward to battling you again." the hiker said.

"Bye!" the trio called back as they continued to Sitka City.

 **A/N - It was Bunnelby that evolved; how many of you guessed that? Bunnelby evolved into Diggersby and learned Earth Power, Lucas is getting pretty strong before the Sitka City Gym. Next chapter, Tendou shows up and demands a rematch of the interrupted battle in Larch Town. Who will win? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 17) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Frost Breath, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 20) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 19) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**


	26. A Rivalry Re-Ignited!

As the trio of adventurers continued making their way through the rough terrain of Route 11, they looked past a large outcropping and saw a landscape of yellow rooves, large pylons and wide spruce trees. As the three were taking in the view, a deep voice cut through the air.

"Well, well, well." the voice said. Everyone turned and looked towards where the voice was coming from to see Tendou standing there with his arms crossed. "Look who finally decided to show up." he said smugly.

"What do you mean decided to show up?" Lucas asked sharply.

"I wanted a rematch for our battle that was interrupted in Larch Town, so I thought I'd wait in Sitka City for a while." he explained arrogantly. "Turns out you are _really_ slow." he insulted. Lucas clenched his fists in anger, Summer put her hand on his shoulder.

"Easy…" she whispered, calming him down. Tendou then threw a Poké Ball that popped open and poured blue light onto the ground.

"Quilava, fire up!" Lucas yelled, throwing his own Poké Ball.

"QUUUIIIILLLL!" it roared as it somersaulted through the air. "Lava!" it cheered as it landed.

"Who is this dick anyway?" Mitch asked Summer.

"He's Lucas' rival and you're right to call him a dick." she told him with a chuckle. "They defeated these two grunts of an organisation called the Sisterhood of Chaos after having their battle interrupted after the first round and Tendou just walked away after saying he'd win next time." she explained. "It was a tie by the way." she told Mitch.

"Spinarak use String Shot!" Tendou commanded. Spinarak then shot out a stream of sticky white string at Quilava.

"Jump and use Flamethrower!" Lucas countered. Quilava jumped over the stream, flaring up the flames on its head and back and then released a red-orange stream of fire at Spinarak.

"Spinarak, use Shadow Sneak, now!" Tendou yelled. Spinarak then dived into its shadow, and zoomed forward towards Quilava. Spinarak then shot up behind Quilava and slammed into the fire type.

"Quick use Flame Wheel!" Lucas shouted in desperation. Quilava then began to topspin and steamrolled Spinarak, knocking the bug type out.

"Spinarak, return." Tendou said. "Staryu, you're up next!" he yelled throwing the Poké Ball. "Staryu, use Rapid Spin!" he commanded. Staryu then began to spin like a saw blade, using the tips of its appendages as a cutting edge, flying over to Quilava.

"Counter with Quick Attack!" Lucas yelled. Quilava then shot forward towards Staryu in a burst of speed with white streaks trailing behind it. The two Pokémon collided and were sent back to their Trainers sides.

"Staryu, finish this with Bubble Beam!" Tendou screamed. The jewel in the middle of Staryu's body glowed orange before it shot out blue bubbles at Quilava.

"Dodge it!" Lucas shrieked. But the attack was too fast and the bubbles crashed into Quilava, causing a burst of steam. The steam cleared to reveal an unconscious Quilava. "Quilava, return." Lucas said with a sigh. "You deserve a nice, long rest." he praised. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he cheered, throwing his second Poké Ball.

"Snorunt use Double Team and Leer!" he commanded. Snorunt dashed over to Staryu as it made multiple clones of itself and surrounded the star-shaped Pokémon and then made a sinister face causing a deep blue ring of energy to appear briefly.

"Use Rapid Spin to get rid of them!" Tendou yelled. Staryu then started spinning again, cutting through the clones.

"Quick use Ice Shard!" Lucas yelled in desperation. Snorunt formed the shards of ice at her mouth and shot them at the spinning Staryu who cut straight through them and crashed into Snorunt sending her rolling across the ground.

"Use Psywave!" Tendou commanded. Staryu's body then became outlined in light blue and its core also glowed blue before it fired light blue rings at Snorunt.

"Use Icy Wind to blow 'em back!" Lucas countered. Snorunt released the sparkling blue powder towards the attack and the powder took the attack with it and collided with Staryu, freezing the Pokémon in place. "Shatter it with Ice Shard!" Lucas continued. Snorunt then formed the shards of ice and shot them at the frozen Staryu, causing an explosion of light. The light faded and the Trainers uncovered their eyes and saw an unconscious Staryu.

"Staryu return!" Tendou said sharply. "Staravia, let's do this!" he yelled, throwing a third Poké Ball. A greyish-brown, avian Pokémon with black and white markings emerged and took the skies and started circling the battlefield. Its head and upper body were primarily black with an "M"-shaped pattern over its white chest. On its forehead was a greyish-brown spot. On its face was a white, mask-like marking with a pattern of spikes along the lower edge. It had small, black eyes with white pupils and a long, orange beak with a black tip. On the back of its head was a long tuft of feathers, which curved forward. The lower halves of its wings were black, and it also had black tail feathers with a single white feather in the center. Its orange, anisodactyl feet had black talons. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the Pokémon as he was unfamiliar with it.

"Staravia, the Starling Pokémon." the familiar female voice stated as it showed Lucas an image of the Pokémon that was in the sky. "Aware of its own weaknesses, it forms flocks of its own kind and cries noisily if left on its own." it continued. "However, these flocks can be extremely territorial; when two different groups meet, they will fight fiercely." it finished.

"Snorunt, can you still battle?" Lucas asked.

"Sno!" she cheered as she flashed him a smile.

"Staravia, use Quick Attack!" Tendou yelled, thrusting his hand forward. Staravia then shot towards Snorunt as white streaks trailed behind and slammed into the smaller Pokémon, sending her skidding towards her Trainer.

"Perfect." Lucas stated with a smirk. "Snorunt, use Avalanche!" he commanded before Tendou could react. Snorunt's body then began to glow light blue and a dark cloud appeared over the circling Staravia. Chunks of white ice then rained down on Staravia, sending it plummeting to the ground.

"Aerial Ace!" Tendou cried out. As Staravia got closer and closer to the ground, it spread its wings and flew towards Snorunt, its body becoming engulfed in white streaks before slamming into Snorunt.

"Snorunt, wrap this up with Ice Shard!" Lucas shrieked. Snorunt formed the shards of ice at her mouth and shot them at Staravia.

"Double Team!" Tendou countered. As Staravia was about to create the clones, the barrage of ice shards crashed into it, sending it plummeting to the ground. It crashed into the ground, shooting up a cloud of dust. The dust cleared.

"Staravia, return." Tendou said with contempt. "Klink, let's win this!" he yelled. The familiar gear Pokémon emerged from the blue light, indifferent as ever. Snorunt was breathing heavily.

"Snorunt use Icy Wind!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt released the sparkling blue powder towards Klink.

"Shock Wave!" Tendou countered. Klink's body became surrounded in a light blue electricity and it shot a beam of light blue electricity at Snorunt.

"Dodge it!" Lucas yelled. As Snorunt began to roll to dodge the attack, the beam followed her path and hit her dead-on. She was unconscious. "Snorunt, return." he said, withdrawing the Pokémon. "Let's bug 'em out Dewpider!" he shouted as he threw his third Poké Ball.

"Water Pulse, let's go!" Lucas yelled as he threw his right hand out to the side. Dewpider formed the sphere of water and shot it towards Klink.

"Dodge it, then use Thunder Shock!" Tendou countered. Klink floated towards the ground as the attack passed over it and shot a thin beam of electricity at Dewpider who had no time to react. "Follow up with another Shock Wave." he continued. Klink body became surrounded with light blue electricity once more as it shot the beam of light blue electricity at Dewpider.

"Counter with Aurora Beam!" Lucas yelled. Dewpider shot a thin beam of icy-blue energy at the electric attack, the two colliding. The two attacks battled for superiority, neither giving in. BOOOOM! Both Pokémon were still standing, one rapidly losing energy and stamina.

"Dewpider, use X-Scissor!" Lucas cried out desperately. Dewpider then rushed over to Klink and brought its front legs up as they glowed blue.

"Gear Grind." Tendou commanded calmly. Klink shot out gears out Dewpider who was sent flying backwards from the attack. It smacked on the ground in front of Lucas, unconscious.

"Dewpider, return." Lucas said. "You fought well." he praised with a sad smile. "Diggersby, I choose you!" he then yelled as he threw his final Poké Ball.

"Dig." it snapped as it flexed its massive ears.

"Let's start this off with Quick Dig!" Lucas yelled, trying out a name for the combination. Diggersby dug a hole and dove into it before shooting up underneath Klink with white streaks trailing behind and slamming into the steel type, sending it sky high.

"Use Gear Grind!" Tendou screamed. As Klink plummeted, it shot out multiple gears from its body which all crashed into Diggersby. The two rivals looked at each other with a look of victory in their eyes.

"Earth Power/Hidden Power!" they yelled simultaneously. Diggersby punched the ground and cracks travelled underneath Klink who shot a barrage of blue orbs at the ground type. BOOOOOOM! A cloud of dust shot up obscuring the view of everyone. Everyone waited with bated breath. The dust cleared.

"WHAT?!" everyone yelled simultaneously, not able to believe their eyes at the sight.

"I wouldn't have thought that would've ended in a tie." Mitch told Summer. "I mean, Lucas had the type advantage and was up three to two." he continued.

"Well, just goes to show…" Summer said. "You can't always trust type advantages or taking the lead." she stated wisely. She then looked up and saw the two rivals in each other's faces. "Alright, break it up." she said as she separated them. As he felt her hands on him, Lucas calmed down instantly.

"Good battle, huh?" he asked Tendou.

"I guess." Tendou replied with a sigh. "See you around." he said as he walked off towards Sitka City, leaving the group on their own. They took another look around them and noticed that the sun was starting to set, giving the sky a beautiful orange-purple hue.

"If we hurry, we should be able to get to the Pokémon Center by nightfall." Summer said, which caused Lucas to shoot off into the distance towards Sitka City.

"He do that a lot?" Mitch asked.

"Yep." she answered. "Come on. Let's go." she said. "He'll only get into some trouble otherwise." she chuckled slightly before running after him.

 **00**

" _As soon as I'm around him. My stomach starts doing flips and feels weird. I can't even sleep without thinking about him. Could it be?"_ Summer thought to herself as she lay in bed, trying to sleep, but she was plagued by the funny feeling in her stomach and her thoughts.

" _But it can't be that. So why do I feel so different around him?"_ she asked herself.

 **A/N - Bit of a weird end to a chapter, but I couldn't think of any other way to end it. So, Lucas and Tendou had an uninterrupted battle which ended in a tie, which no one in the group was expecting. And Summer discovering she has feelings for someone, but who? Next chapter, Lucas challenges the Sitka City Gym. What type will the Gym Leader specialize in? Will Lucas be able to win his fifth badge? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 20) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 20) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Sand Attack, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 15) - Tackle, Growl, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 15) - Leech Seed, Growth, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 15) - Morning Sun, Tackle, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**


	27. A History Mystery!

**A/N - This chapter, our trio of adventurers have arrived in Sitka City, where they decide to do some sightseeing before Lucas' Gym Battle. This will also give you all a chance to learn about the region. This is a Part 1 chapter and Part 2 will be coming later in the story.**

"Here we are! Sitka City!" Summer cheered as she breathed in the fresh air, looking at all the skyscrapers adorned with electric billboards advertising various products. As they walked through the bustling streets, there were small boutique fashion shops and candy stores and all manner of life.

"So, what are we gonna do here?" Mitch asked, in awe of the giant city they were walking through. Summer, predicting Lucas' answer, grabbed the collar of his shirt before he could run off.

"Not a Gym Battle, that's for sure." she said sternly. "It's time we did what I want to do, for a change." she continued. "So no running off." she warned, poking Lucas firmly in the chest.

"Oww." he groaned, holding his chest. "I won't run off, I promise." he agreed.

"Right then, let's go look around." she instructed, linking arms with the boys and marching forward with a bright smile on her face.

 **00**

"Hello! And welcome to Orchid Fashion!" a voice welcomed. They turned towards the voice and saw an older-looking, white-haired woman wearing a floral uniform. "How may I help you fine-looking youngsters today?" she asked warmly.

"I want…" Summer began before pausing in thought, putting her finger to her chin. "I want something floral and elegant yet eye-catching." she decided.

"I think we can do that." the employee replied.

"Boys. Behave yourselves." Summer warned pointing a finger at them both before walking off with the employee.

"Now what do we do?" Lucas sighed, itching for a battle but managing to restrain himself, knowing not to get on the wrong side of Summer. Lucas took out his PokéDex and opened the Town Map, looking at the tree shaped region before tapping on his current location.

"Sitka City." he read aloud. "The City of Lights; electric and eclectic." he continued.

"Anything?" Mitch asked.

"Uhh..." Lucas stammered. "There's a history museum here and then there's just a bunch of boutiques and landmarks and stuff like that." he informed Mitch.

"History museum it is then." Mitch decided as he got up to leave with Lucas. As they left the boutique, Summer came into the room in a short, low-cut emerald green strapless dress that was adorned with white floral patterns. She then scanned the room for the two boys and saw their empty seats.

"Can't they just sit still for five minutes?" she asked herself exasperatedly.

 **00**

Lucas and Mitch walked through Sitka City, taking in all the lit up billboards and skyscrapers that towered over the city. They saw statues of the founder of the region standing tall with hands on her hips and her hair flowing behind her.

"Woah, she looks cool…" Lucas admired as he walked past the statue slowly. "Do you think there'll be an exhibit on her at the museum?" he asked.

"Probably." Mitch answered. "Let's find out, the museum's onlyyy" he started, looking at the city's lightning-bolt-shaped map. "Five or ten minutes away." he concluded.

As soon as they walked into the museum, their breath was taking away by the sheer scale of it. There were large fossils constructed in the corners of the large hall. The centrepiece of this floor was a much larger version of the statue that they had seen outside that towered everyone and everything that was in the hall. They walked up to the statue to find that it was much taller than they first thought and were overwhelmed and intimidated by it. Upon closer inspection, they found that the plinth it was standing on had an inscription.

" **Amelia Adina, the brave soul who founded this region and made it what it is today."** Mitch read aloud.

"Woah, she's the one who founded this region?!" Lucas exclaimed in awe.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear you admiring our statue." a voice said, causing the two to turn and look. They saw a man dressed in a smart suit with a blue bow-tie.

"Sorry I yelled so loud…" Lucas apologised. The man waved it off with a smile.

"If you like, I can give you a guided tour of this museum starting with Amelia." he offered.

"Really?" Lucas and Mitch asked simultaneously. The man nodded.

"Now, as you've already gathered, Amelia here was the one who founded this region." he began. "But what you probably didn't know was that she first came to Enevca Town-"

"That's where I'm from!" Lucas cut in before apologising.

"The reason she even came to this region was to escape her hometown since her parents weren't very supportive of her ambitions and wouldn't accept her for who she was." he continued.

"What do you mean? Why not?" Lucas questioned.

"Well, Amelia wanted to travel the world with her lover, Natalia, but since times were different back then, their parents wouldn't allow their relationship." the man answered.

"Wait, she was lesbian?" a girl's voice rang out from behind them. The group turned around to see Summer in her new outfit. She then pointed to Lucas and Mitch. "I have been looking for you two for _thirty_ minutes!" she scolded.

"Hey Summer, you look good." Lucas complimented, catching Summer off-guard.

"Uhh, t-thanks Lucas." she struggled to say as her face turned as red as possible and she turned away. "Anyway, you could've at least told me where you were going or left a note or something."

"Yeah, well, I'll be honest, I wasn't really thinking about it..." he admitted, trying to shrug her off. "And besides," he paused.

"What?" Summer asked hesitantly.

"It wasn't even my idea, it was Mitch's!" Lucas said, suddenly blaming Mitch, who recoiled in shock at the accusations.

"C'mon man, that's not cool." he stated. "Also, you agreed to come with me, so doesn't that put you in the wrong as much as me?" he defended.

"Guys, I'm sorry." Summer chimed in. "I didn't want to cause any arguments between us" she continued. "J- just forget I ever said anything." she instructed.

"O- oh" Lucas responded sadly. "I'm… I'm sorry Summer." he apologised. "I- I didn't want to upset you." he told her.

"Yeah, me either." Mitch said.

"Group hug?" Summer proposed. The boys nodded and entered the hug. However, the quiet moment between close friends was interrupted by a large explosion from the next floor up. The trio ran up the stairs to find the entire floor destroyed, display cabinets and debris strewn about the place. As they surveyed the area, Lucas caught a flash of purple through a gaping hole in the roof.

"Did you guys see that, just then?" he asked.

"No, what was it?" Mitch asked.

"I could've sworn that I saw a flash of purple fabric, you don't it could be the Sisterhood, do you?" Lucas asked worriedly.

"Hmm, maybe, but we can't base anything on a flash of purple that only you saw." Summer said.

"Oh dear Arceus, what happened here?!" the museum worker cried out as he saw the scene.

"Sir, don't panic," Summer started. "But we think this museum may have been attacked by a criminal organisation going by the name of the Sisterhood of Chaos." she explained.

"Criminal?!" the man exclaimed.

"We also think that they may have committed this act as a way to destroy evidence and witnesses that could be a threat to them." she continued.

"Looks like they miscalculated to me." Lucas quipped as he looked at the group. "I guess they were new or something." he quipped again. Dead silence. " _Wait. Why didn't anyone laugh at my jokes?"_ he thought to himself, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Sir, I promise you that we will find whoever is responsible for this and will make sure that they are brought to justice." Summer pledged.

"Y- you don't have to go to that much trouble, I can always rebuild, after all." he replied.

"No." she insisted. "We need to do this to stop them harming totally innocent people, and over nothing apparently." she continued, flaring her nostrils.

"Hey, guys, come look at this!" Mitch called from a piece of nearby debris.

"What is it?" Lucas asked as they made their way over to him. Mitch handed Lucas a rolled up piece of parchment. He unrolled it as Summer and Mitch looked over his shoulder. Written on this parchment was a diary entry in shaky handwriting, almost as if the person who wrote it had seen something terrifying moments before.

Amelia burst through the door of a wood cabin that she and Natalia had built and settled in after they came to the region and slammed it behind her. She rushed around, using anything she could as barricades. She then stood at her desk and began to write feverishly.

We never should have come here. There was something out there. It KILLED Natalia days ago, and now, it's as if I too have died with her. And I will soon, I don't think I've escaped it for long. It was some sort of beast, with abhorrent features, we could barely look at it. If anyone gets this message, please, for the love of Arceus, do NOT come here, it will kill you too. Mum, Dad, even though you never accepted me, I forgive you and I still love you. I hope I made you proud. Ame-

The entrance to the cabin then burst open as a large, dark creature revealed itself.

"What do you think she was so afraid of?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's dangerous." Summer answered. "D'you think that the Sisterhood were looking for this so they could study it and find out what the creature was?" Summer proposed.

"They do say that she went mad after Natalia died" the man chimed in. "Maybe she wasn't mad and there really was some meaning to her words." he mused. "Tell you what, you kids keep that and try to find some historians or something on your journey. I have a feeling that it'll be safer in your hands." he instructed them. The trio walked out of the museum after thanking the man with sombre looks on their faces.

"D'you think the Sisterhood want to find and catch this creature?" Lucas asked.

"I mean, that's our best guess right now, let's be honest." Summer answered. "But moping around, overthinking things isn't going to help." she continued. "Pokémon Center for the night and Gym battle in the morning?" she proposed.

"Yeah, okay." The boys agreed as the trio walked in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

 **A/N - O O F, that was a toughie to write, it took me forever to try and build some more of the world like the origins, but there you go, you found out who founded the region, why she journeyed in the first place and got a mystery as to what happened to her.**


	28. An Electrifying Battle!

**A/N - That's right, folks; it's time for Lucas' fifth Gym Battle. The title will probably give away what type this Gym is, so it's not that hard to guess. Hope you enjoy!**

The trio were sat at the table, eating their breakfast in preparation for Lucas' Gym battle, when Mitch piped up.

"So, I've been doing some research on this Gym." he started.

"Yeah?" Lucas questioned.

"Yeah. And it turns out that this city's Gym specializes in electric types, so Diggersby should be an invaluable team member for this battle." Mitch told them.

"Alright, I know who I'm gonna use for this battle." Lucas said confidently. He then shovelled down his breakfast and shot off out of the doors of the Pokémon Center.

 **00**

The trio walked into the Gym expecting a special battlefield but were surprised to see a plain battlefield with the familiar bleachers and referee podium. They were also met with yellow walls that had the Gym symbol and a lightning bolt on each of them. A female voice then cut through the air as she stomped the ground in her Trainer box.

"I'm Sorine!" she yelled. Everyone turned to look at her. She had bright yellow hair that was spiked up and blue eyes; she was wearing yellow dungarees over a blue shirt and sneakers. "The Sitka City Gym Leader." she continued. "I love the raw power that Electric types emit." she told Lucas. "Do you have that same power?" she asked semi-rhetorically. A male referee then stepped onto the podium as a black scoreboard came down from the ceiling. The screen lit up with two pictures of Lucas and Sorine on the left and right, respectively. Next to each photo were three Poké Ball symbols.

"This will be a three vs three battle with only the challenger allowed to make substitutions. The battle will be over when all three Pokémon are unable to battle. Are these rules accepted?" the ref asked.

"Yes!" the two answered simultaneously.

"Battle begin!" the ref yelled.

"Raichu, let's do this!" Sorine yelled as she threw a Poké Ball. the device popped open and bright blue light poured out from it. The light dissipated to reveal a bipedal, rodent-like Pokémon. It was covered in dark orange fur and had a white belly. Its bifurcated ears were brown on the outside, yellow on the insides, and ended in a distinctive curl. There were circular yellow markings on its cheek and it had a triangular, dark brown nose. Its arms and feet had patches of brown fur at the end, and the soles of its big feet were tan with a circular orange pad. On its back were two horizontal brown stripes. It also had a long, thin tail that had a lightning bolt-shaped end.

"Chuuuu!" it yelled as it fired a bolt of lightning into the air. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the new Pokémon.

"Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu." it stated, the screen showing an image of the Pokémon. " Raichu's tail functions as a ground and releases electricity into the surface, which keeps it from shocking itself." it finished.

"Diggersby, I choose you!" Lucas yelled, throwing the Poké Ball with his signature throw.

"Diiig." the Pokémon said as it flexed its ears in a show of strength.

The first Poké Ball symbols on the scoreboard lit up and showed a photo of a Raichu next Sorine and a Diggersby next to Lucas.

"Lucas should have the advantage here since Electric types are weak against Ground types." Mitch opined in the bleachers.

"That's true." Summer stated. "But remember the battle he had against Tendou?" she asked. "He was up 3-1 but it ended in a tie." she answered her own question.

"Raichu, start with Seismic Toss!" Sorine commanded. Raichu rushed over to Diggersby, picked up the ground type and jumped high into the air. As the two plummeted closer to the ground, Raichu threw Diggersby straight into the ground, a cloud of dust shooting up. The dust cleared to reveal a hole in the battlefield and no Diggersby. Diggersby then shot up underneath Raichu and sent it flying across the battlefield before it crashed in front of Sorine.

"Follow up with Earth Power!" Lucas yelled, punching his fist forward. Diggersby then punched the ground, causing cracks in the ground that travelled underneath Raichu, damaging it. Raichu then slumped forward, unconscious.

"Raichu is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"What?!" Sorine yelled in shock. "Raichu, return." she said, withdrawing the Pokémon, as its photo turned grey. "You're definitely powerful, but are you powerful enough to defeat me?" she praised and and asked rhetorically. "Ampharos, let's win this!" she yelled, throwing a second Poké Ball. The blue light dissipated to reveal a yellow, bipedal Pokémon that also had a white belly. It had conical ears with black stripes and a red orb on its forehead. Its long neck had several black rings around it near the base. Its stubby arms resembled flippers and each foot had a single white nail. It also had a long, black-striped tail with a red orb at the tip. A picture of Ampharos then appeared in place of the second Poké Ball symbol on the scoreboard. Lucas took out his PokéDex for a second time.

"Ampharos, the Light Pokémon." it stated, showing a still image of the Pokémon standing across the battlefield. "The orb on its tail can shine so bright, that it can be seen from space. People have used the light as a beacon, or to send signals across the ocean." it finished.

"Diggersby, take a rest." Lucas said, withdrawing the Pokémon from the battle. This cause the image on the scoreboard to turn blue. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he then yelled, throwing a second Poké Ball. A picture of Snorunt then appeared in place of the second Poké Ball symbol next to Lucas' photo.

"Ampharos, kick this off with a Power-Up Punch barrage!" Sorine yelled.

"Counter with Ice Shard!" Lucas yelled as he threw his right arm to the side. As Ampharos ran towards Snorunt with its arms becoming surrounded in an orange aura, Snorunt formed multiple shards of ice at her mouth and shot them at the approaching target. As they shot over to Ampharos, the electric type ran through the attack, punching them away. It then started to punch Snorunt relentlessly.

"Quick use Double Team and Leer!" Lucas commanded. As Ampharos continued its assault, Snorunt made multiple clones of herself, causing Ampharos to punch through one, ending the barrage. The clones then made a sinister face all around Ampharos. A deep red ring of energy and a deep blue ring of energy then appeared around Ampharos briefly.

"Ampharos, wrap this up with Fire Punch!" Sorine shrieked. Ampharos then swung at a random Snorunt with fire swirling around its right arm. The punch went straight through, causing the clone to disappear.

"Icy Wind!" Lucas yelled. The remaining clones all released a sparkling blue powder at Ampharos.

"Use Fire Punch to keep yourself from freezing!" Sorine countered. As the attack fell towards Ampharos, it crossed its arms across its chest as fire swirled around them. The powder then fell onto Ampharos, the collision with the fire causing the battlefield to be covered with smoke. The smoke cleared to reveal both Pokémon still standing. Lucas notice that Snorunt was beginning to pant from fatigue.

"Now finish this with Iron Tail!" she screamed as she thrust her hand forward. Ampharos' tail then became silver and metallic, and it swung the tail around towards Snorunt.

"Dodge it!" Lucas yelled desperately. But Snorunt was too slow. Ampharos' tail slammed into her sending her rolling across the ground. Once she stopped, it was revealed that her eyes had been replaced with swirls.

"Snorunt is unable to battle!" the ref declared

"Snorunt, return." he said sadly as the picture on the scoreboard turned grey. "You set me up perfectly." he praised. "Let's bug 'em out Dewpider!" he yelled, throwing the Poké Ball. The third Poké Ball symbol next to Lucas' photo on the scoreboard was then replaced by a picture of Dewpider.

"What's he doing?!" Mitch exclaimed in shock, snapping Summer out of her thoughts. "Everyone knows that Water-types are weak against Electric-types." he stated.

"Maybe it's because Ampharos is starting to get tired." Summer suggested, taking notice of Ampharos' slightly lower stance.

"Dewpider, let's kick this off with Sticky Web!" Lucas commanded, pointing his finger at Ampharos. Dewpider then shot multiple globs of white, sticky material across the battlefield.

"Burn 'em away with Fire Punch!" Sorine countered.

"Perfect." Lucas said to himself, as Ampharos' firey arms punched away the globs. "Water Pulse." he commanded calmly. Dewpider then fired a sphere of water at Ampharos, who noticed it too late. The force of the impact sent the electric type skidding towards Sorine. "Water Pulse again!" he yelled, desperate to finish the battle. Dewpider shot another sphere of water at Ampharos.

"Send it back with Iron Tail!" Ampharos' tail then became silver and metallic and it swung its tail at the sphere, sending it back towards Dewpider.

"Absorb it with your bubble!" Lucas countered. Dewpider then bent its head a little lower and took the attack head on, pushing it back a little. "Now follow up with Aurora Beam!" Lucas yelled. Dewpider shot a thin beam of icy-blue energy towards Ampharos.

"Counter with Thunder Punch!" Sorine shrieked. Ampharos then ran towards the oncoming attack as its right arm crackled with electricity. As it got closer to Dewpider, it darted to the side avoiding the attack and collided with Dewpider who fired off a sphere of water as it was hit. The collision of attacks caused a cloud of dust to shoot up, obscuring the battlefield.

 **A/N - A cliffhanger for a Gym Battle? How could I be so cruel? I'm sorry everyone that was annoyed by this cliffhanger, I get it, I get annoyed by them too, but the Gym chapters were starting to get a bit formulaic, so I thought I'd mix it up a little. Next chapter, the battle continues, but who survived the collision and who will win? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**


	29. A Shocking Outcome!

**A/N - This chapter, the battle between Sorine and Lucas continues. Hope you enjoy!**

The dust began to clear. Everyone waited with bated breath. The dust completely cleared. Everyone gasped in shock.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" the ref declared as both pictures on the scoreboard turned grey. "Choose your last Pokémon!" he yelled after the Trainers withdrew their Pokémon.

"Diggersby, I choose you!" Lucas yelled as threw the Poké Ball.

"Okay Luxray, let's give it everything we've got!" Sorine yelled, throwing her final Poké Ball as hard as she could. Diggersby's picture on the scoreboard returned to its normal colour while the Poké Ball symbol next to Sorine's photo was replaced by a photo of Luxray. The two Pokémon stared each other down, neither saying anything.

"The winner of this battle will decide the match. Begin!" the ref said.

"Luxray, use Ice Fang!" Sorine commanded. Luxray's fangs then glowed light blue and it fired two beams of light blue energy from its fangs at Diggersby.

"Dodge it with Quick Dig!" Lucas yelled. Diggersby then shot into the ground and shot out underneath Luxray with white streaks trailing behind, sending the electric type into the air. The two Pokémon landed safely on the ground in front of their Trainers, adrenaline pumping in everyone.

"Luxray, use Swagger!" Sorine yelled. Luxray's tail then began to glow red as it swung it around in a teasing manner, confusing Diggersby whose eyes turned red as a red ring of energy appeared around it briefly. "Follow up with Bite!" she commanded.

"Use Double Slap to knock it away!" Lucas countered. As Luxray closed in on Diggersby, the ground type began to slap itself. Luxray then bit down on one of the ears, causing Diggersby to become more angry as it threw the electric type off. "Diggersby, you've gotta snap out of it!" Lucas called out, causing Diggersby to turn to Lucas. "Come on, let's win this!" Lucas cheered as Diggersby snapped out of confusion.

"Luxray use Ice Fang!" Sorine yelled, throwing her arm to the side. Luxray shot the blue beams of energy towards Diggersby once more.

"Use Agility followed by Quick Attack!" Lucas countered. Diggersby briefly glowed white as the attack rushed towards it. Just as the attack was about to hit, it sped out of the way and shot towards Luxray with white streaks trailing behind it. Diggersby checked Luxray straight into the wall behind Sorine, leaving an imprint. Luxray fell out of the wall onto the floor. It then got up and shakily walked back onto the battlefield.

"Luxray, are you sure?" Sorine asked worriedly. Luxray nodded and growled in response. "Okay, finish this with Bite!" Sorine yelled.

"Oh no you don't." Lucas retorted. "Wrap this up with Mud Shot!" he yelled, punching his fist forwards. Luxray charged towards Diggersby as the inside of the ground type's mouth began to glow orange, before it fired multiple balls of mud at Luxray. Luxray was pummeled by the attack, knocking the Pokémon out.

"Luxray is unable to battle!" the ref declared, causing the picture on the scoreboard to go grey. "That means the winner of this Gym Battle are Lucas and Diggersby!" he announced. The scoreboard then put Lucas' photo in the middle with the word winner underneath in all capital letters and a confetti shower animation.

"That was truly an electrifying battle!" Sorine exclaimed, adrenaline still pumping. She then walked over to Lucas holding a small metal object. "You have proven to be powerful enough to take on Electric types and win." she praised. "Now take this Thump Badge." she instructed as she handed him the object in her hand. It was in the shape of cloud and had black colouring with small yellow lightning bolts inside.

"Alright, I just won… the Thump Badge!" he cheered as he struck a pose holding the badge aloft, before placing it into his badge case.

"You did it, Rookie!" Summer cheered as she and Mitch joined the two.

"I gotta admit that I was worried about your choice of Pokémon." Mitch admitted. "But you know what, you did it anyway. Well done." he complimented.

"So where are we off to next, Rookie?" Summer asked.

"Sorine?" Lucas asked, deferring the question to her.

"Hm." she said as she rubbed her chin in thought. "The closest Gym from here would be in Magnogrand City." she answered.

"Tomorrow, it's off to Magnogrand City!" Lucas announced as he walked out of the Gym.

" _You know, I think he's actually starting to chill out a little."_ Summer opined in her thoughts. " _Although, even I'm pretty tired and I was just watching, so maybe not."_ she thought to herself.

 **A/N - And that marks the end of the Sitka City Arc and the end of my first two-part battle. I hope I did well. So, Lucas won his fifth Gym Badge and is getting ever closer to the Adina League. Summer's Pokémon also got a level boost because she was getting underleveled. The next arc is a very eventful one. What happens next? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 20) - Avalanche, Leer, Double Team, Bite, Ice Shard, Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, Double Slap, Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, X-Scissor, Water Pulse**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, Hyper Voice, Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 20) - Take Down, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, Synthesis, Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, Grass Whistle, Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 20) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, Rollout, Razor Leaf**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, Sucker Punch, Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, Swift, Air Slash**


	30. The Purr of A Purrloin!

After a good night's rest, the trio made their way out of Sitka City, heading for their new destination of Magnogrand City and onto Route 16. The environment of this route was a mixture of all the previous routes that they had traveled through; there were rolling hills, rocky outcroppings, tall grass and dirt roads. There were also large trees of multiple species and shrubbery dotted around the area. As they walked along, Lucas could hear a quiet growl-like noise behind him. He looked behind him to find the source of the noise, but found nothing.

" _Hm. It's probably just my imagination."_ he thought to himself.

"Puuurrr..."

 **00**

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing!" Mitch commanded.

"Dodge it Snorunt!" Lucas yelled. Skarmory then nosedived towards Snorunt as its wings glowed white. It got closer and closer and as it was about to crash into Snorunt, she rolled to the right, avoiding the attack and causing Skarmory to crash into the ground, a cloud of dust shooting up.

"Thanks for the training, Snorunt really needed to work on her dodging." Lucas told Mitch.

"No problem." he said. "I could've done with some training myself." he admitted.

 **00**

Summer rooted around in her bag for the next ingredient for lunch and couldn't find what she was looking for, so she decided to look a little deeper. As she looked, she discovered that the ingredient was missing from her bag entirely.

"Hmm. I could have sworn that I had it…" she muttered to herself. As she said that, she felt a tug on the bottom of her dress. She looked down a saw a purple Pokémon that was holding the ingredient in its hands.

"Purr, Purr, loin." the Pokémon said.

"Hey Purrloin, how'd you get that?" she asked. Purrloin then looked up at her with wide eyes and its head cocked to the right.

"Oh, Arceus, you're adorable aren't you?" she cooed. Summer then held her hand out to Purrloin, who handed the ingredient to her. Purrloin then scampered away and into a bush out of sight.

 **00**

"Lunch is served!" Summer yelled across the area, summoning everyone. As they were about to start eating, Lucas' portion was stolen by a purple blur causing Lucas to bite the air. He blinked his eyes in shock for a few seconds before realising what had happened.

"Heey!" he yelled, eliciting a chuckle for Summer and Mitch. Lucas then looked around the area and spotted a Purrloin sat on the ground eating the food that it had stolen from him. "Purrloin!" he yelled, gaining the Pokémon's attention.

"Purr?" it asked cutely, head cocked.

"Aww, I can't stay mad at a cute Pokémon like you." Lucas said, instantly forgiving the Pokémon. He then had a realisation. "Do you want to come with us Purrloin?" he asked. "We'd make the best team that Adina has ever seen!" he cheered emphatically, trying to convince the Pokémon to join him.

"Purr!" it cheered as it ran ten feet away and took a battle pose.

"So it's a battle you want, eh?" he asked. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he yelled, causing her to rush over to her Trainer.

"Sno!" she cheered as she also took a battle pose.

"Snorunt, use Icy Wind!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt released the sparkling blue powder from her mouth towards Purrloin. As the attack moved closer, Purrloin sidestepped the powder and ran towards Snorunt, its claws growing slightly and glowing white. Purrloin then scratched Snorunt across the face, sending her skidding back to Lucas. Purrloin's tail then became silver and metallic before the purple Pokémon swung its tail towards Snorunt.

"Dodge it!" Lucas yelled. Snorunt then jumped straight over the tail and landed safely on her feet. "Follow up with Ice Shard!" he commanded. Snorunt then formed the shards of ice at her mouth and shot them at Purrloin, who was unprepared for the attack and was sent flying across the makeshift battlefield. Purrloin then disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Snorunt surrounded by a black aura and slammed into her. Purrloin's tail then became metallic once more and it slammed its tail into Snorunt, sending her across the battlefield.

"Quick use Avalanche!" Lucas shouted desperately. Snorunt's body then began to glow light blue and a dark cloud appeared over Purrloin. Chunks of white ice then rained down on Purrloin, causing the Pokémon to slump forward onto the ground. "Go, Poké Ball!" Lucas yelled, throwing the hi-tech device. Upon impact with Purrloin, a red beam of energy sucked the purple Pokémon into the device. The device landed on the ground and began to shake. Once. Twice. Three times. PING! Lucas then ran over the Poké Ball and struck a pose while holding it aloft. "I just caught… a Purrloin!" he cheered. "Purrloin, come on out!" he yelled throwing the Poké Ball in the air. The device popped open, a bright blue light pouring out from the device. The blue light dissipated to reveal Purrloin who shook itself afterwards. "Meet your new teammate everyone." Lucas told his other Pokémon, who went about introducing themselves to Purrloin.

"Okay, everyone, time to go!" Summer called as she finished packing up her things. Lucas returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls and packed up his things.

"I can't wait to get to Magnogrand City and win my sixth Gym Badge!" Lucas cheered as he pumped his fist in the air.

 **A/N - There we go! Lucas has now caught a Purrloin who stole his food. What do you think of the team so far? It's not going to change, but any predictions for his remaining team member(s)? I have also changed the levelling system so that captures will level up the Pokémon that the Trainer used for the battle. What happens next? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 22) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin (Lv. 22) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Scratch, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Deerling (Lv. 20) - Take Down, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 20) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**


	31. A Jumped-Up Jumpluff!

**A/N - I know it's been a while, but I've been trying to get ahead a bit and re-write some of the planned chapters before posting more of them.**

Lucas, Summer and Mitch continued their journey through Route 16, admiring the scenery when there was a sudden gust of wind, causing everyone to shudder a little.

"That was weird…" Summer noted.

"Ah, it was probably nothing." Lucas shrugged the feeling off.

"Sorry, bro, I'm with Summer on this one." Mitch told Lucas, siding with Summer.

"I'm telling you, it's fine." Lucas told the two, waving them off. "Weather does this all the time." he continued.

"Pluuff!"

"What was that?!" Lucas yelped in fright. At that moment, a spherical, blue Pokémon floated into sight. It had red beady eyes and small, round feet and tail. There were three cotton puffs, that were almost as large as its body, extending from it; there was one on each arm and one on top of its head. At the base of the top puff, there were four leaves. Lucas took out his PokéDex and scanned the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Jumpluff, the Cottonweed Pokémon." the female voice stated as it showed Lucas an image of the Pokémon in front of the trio. "Jumpluff drifts on seasonal winds and can use its spores to masterfully manoeuvre itself around the globe." it continued. "It will spread spores as it floats around to create descends if it encounters cold air currents while it is floating." it finished.

"You're mine! Deerling, nature calls!" Summer cheered as she threw the Poké Ball.

"Ling, ling!" Deerling cheered as it emerged from the device.

"Deerling, use Feint Attack!" Summer commanded, thrusting her hand forward with her fingers splayed. Deerling then disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Jumpluff surrounded by a black aura, before it slammed into Jumpluff, causing it to float a little lower. Jumpluff's body then glowed light blue before it zipped through the air towards Deerling and slammed into the normal type, sending it skidding towards Summer.

"Deerling, hit back with Headbutt!" Summer called out. Deerling then bent its head low and charged at Jumpluff. Jumpluff then floated out of the way of the attack as Deerling jumped towards it. Deerling was then sent flying by a strong gust of pink, sparkling wind. Deerling then shakily stood up.

"Ling, ling!" it cheered before becoming enveloped by a blinding blue light. The form inside the blue light then began to enlarge and grew taller. It also grew some protrusions. The blue light dissipated to reveal a brown and cream deer-like Pokémon that had rhomboid ears and darker ear insides. Its eyed had light-orange markings that curved down to the sides of its face. It also had a dark-brown nose, and it sported cream fur on its chin and on the sides of its face. Light-orange stripes rimmed its underbelly, and its back was decorated with green spots. Its limbs were slender and tipped with hooves. Its tail was pointing up and its antlers were covered with green leaves.

"Deerling evolved?!" Lucas and Mitch yelled simultaneously, before Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Sawsbuck, the Season Pokémon." it stated, putting an image on the screen, "Sawsbuck lives in herds led by the Sawsbuck with the most splendid antlers." it continued. "It can live almost anywhere as they adapt to the season, but prefer to live away from humans." it finished. Sawsbuck lowered its head and its horns became surrounded in orange and then they started to glow gold before it charged at Jumpluff, pointing the horns at it. Sawsbuck then slammed into Jumpluff sending it crashing to the ground. Sparkling green orbs then flew out of Jumpluff and into Sawsbuck, restoring its health. Summer then threw a Poké Ball at the unsuspecting Jumpluff. Upon impacting with Jumpluff, the device popped open and sent a red beam to Jumpluff who was enveloped by the red energy and sucked into the device. The Poké Ball landed on the ground and began to shake. PING! Summer ran over to the device and picked it up off the ground. She then held the device at arm's length.

"I caught… a Jumpluff!" she cheered. She then released her team from their Poké Balls and was met by a trio of cheers. "Hey, everyone, I want to introduce you to our new teammate." she told them. "Go Jumpluff!" she cheered, throwing the Poké Ball. Jumpluff emerged from the blue light. "This is Jumpluff." she told her other Pokémon. The other Pokémon tried to introduce themselves to Jumpluff, but the blue Pokémon turned its nose up at them and ignored them. "Everyone, return." she said, withdrawing everyone to their Poké Balls.

"Wow, Jumpluff really doesn't like you." Lucas noted.

"Yeah, it's acting as if it's more important than the rest of us." Mitch concurred.

"I'll get through to it." she assured them. "I had a similar situation with one of my Hoenn team." she told them.

"It's getting pretty late, we should make camp." Lucas said.

"Yeah, good idea." Mitch agreed.

 **A/N - Summer has now caught a Jumpluff that, as the title suggests, is jumped-up, and her Deerling has evolved into Sawsbuck. What happens next? Find out next time, as the journey continues…**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 22) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin (Lv. 22) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Scratch, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Sawsbuck (Lv. 22) - Horn Leech, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 20) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Jumpluff (Lv. 35) - Acrobatics, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Bullet Seed, +Synthesis, +Seed Bomb**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 20) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**


	32. The Goal of A Golbat!

"Dewpider, use Water Pulse!" Lucas commanded.

"Monferno, stand your ground!" Mitch countered. As the sphere of water shot towards Monferno, the fire type crossed his arms in front of his chest and was immediately impacted by the water attack, causing a cloud of steam to rise from the area. The steam cleared to reveal Monferno doubled over, breathing heavily.

"Nice, Monferno." Mitch praised his Pokémon. "A few more sessions and water types will be nothing to worry about." he said confidently.

"Mon." the Pokémon affirmed with a pump of his fist.

"Alright guys, let's go." Summer instructed after packing up the last of the groups belongings. The group then began to make their way through the rocky terrain of Route 16; after travelling for an hour, Lucas decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, guys? What type do you think the Magnogrand City Gym will specialise in?" he asked the other two.

"Hmm…" Summer and Mitch said simultaneously while touching their chins in thought.

"Maybe… a flying type Gym." Mitch offered.

"You know, you could be on the right track there." Summer concurred. "You see, I've noticed a small pattern in the way these Gyms are set up." she continued.

"What d'you mean?" Lucas asked, scratching his head.

"Well, think about it." she started. "After Tembu City's fire type Gym, we fought Platan City's grass type Gym." she explained. "Now, what's the correlation between those?" she asked.

"Grass is weak to fire." Mitch answered. "So, Sitka City was an electric type Gym…" he started

"And flying types are weak to electric types!" Lucas exclaimed, seeing the pattern. "Or it could be a water type Gym, though. I mean, it fits the pattern."

"Well, then." Summer stated. "Looks like you should train for both eventualities. That way, you won't be unprepared." she suggested. As Lucas looked up the sky, thinking about what sort of training regimen his Pokémon would be taken, a drop of water landed in his eye, causing him to exclaim and put his hand to his eye.

"Huh?" Summer and Mitch exhaled, trying not to laugh at Lucas' misfortune. As they were doing so, the water drops became heavier and more frequent before turning into a full thunderstorm.

"I _hate_ rain!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Look, there's a cave over there!" Mitch pointed out. "Quick, let's go!" he instructed before running to the cave into complete darkness. "Monferno, come out." he said releasing the Pokémon. "Hey, can you give us some light?" he asked. As Monferno brightened the flame on its tail, Lucas and Summer came tumbling in, knocking Monferno and Mitch onto their back with Lucas and Summer on top.

"Owww…" they all groaned.

"Can you get up, I think I'm dying." Mitch exaggerated. As the group recovered, brushing themselves off, Monferno heightened the flame on it tail, making the cave dimly lit.

"Quilava, come on out." Lucas said, releasing his own fire type. "Do you think you could give us some more light?" he asked. Quilava then fired up the flames on its back, making the cave a little more well-lit.

"I guess we should stay here until the storm passes." Summer suggested.

"Well, I'm going to get some more sleep." Lucas said, curling up close to the makeshift fire that the Pokémon were being.

Summer and Mitch shared a disbelieving look and just shook their heads as they did their own activities.

 **00**

Elsewhere in the cave, unbeknownst to the trio, was a large blue bat-like Pokémon. It had heard the commotion and decided to go investigate, however, after flying about five feet or so, it plummeted to the ground. The Pokémon sighed sadly at its inability to do what most of its species could. It then decided to walk in the direction it was going instead of flying and falling all the way there. It plodded along through the cave and jumped behind a large rock as it saw a large shadow moving towards it. The shadow stalked past, causing the Pokémon's heart rate to spike, but it stayed silent and out of sight until the shadow was gone. The Pokémon peeked out from the rock, checking that it wouldn't be attacked while investigating, and continued on its small trek through the cave.

 **00**

Back at the trio's makeshift rest stop, Summer looked outside of the cave to check the weather; the rain had lightened up slightly, but she doubted that it would be clear anytime soon. She looked at Lucas' sleeping form and smiled fondly and chuckled a little at how he could sleep so much.

"Gol!"

"Summer, did you hear that?" Mitch asked. "I think it was a Pokémon." They both looked over in the direction of the noise and saw a large, blue bat-like Pokémon with a large mouth walking over to them. As they got a closer look at it, they saw that the large mouth had four fangs inside, two on top and two on the lower part. It also had large wings with a light purple underside, small cylindrical feet attached to thin legs. Mitch took out his red PokéDex and scanned the Pokémon.

"Wait, since when have you had a PokéDex?" Summer asked in surprise.

"I'll tell you later." he dismissed.

"Golbat, the Bat Pokémon." a male voice stated. "It feeds on the blood of both Pokémon and humans, and is capable of drinking over 300ml (10 ounces) of blood in one sitting." it continued. "Golbat drinks so much blood that its blood type will change to that of its victims." the PokéDex finished.

"Woah, that's amazing!" Summer muttered in awe.

"Uhh… what's going on?" Lucas asked groggily after being woken up.

"A Golbat just found us and Summer seems to be in awe of the fact that it drinks so much blood." Mitch explained casually, Summer now walking circles around Golbat, examining the flying type.

"Gol, gol, Golbat." it said, flapping its wings to try and communicate.

"What do you think is wrong with it?" Lucas asked, seeing the Pokémon's distress.

"Golbat? Can you show us what's wrong?" Mitch asked kindly. The Pokémon nodded and began to fly but plummeted before it could get any real height. "Ahh, I see." he nodded, understanding Golbat's situation. "Tell you what, why don't you come with us?" he offered.

"Gol?" the Pokémon asked.

"If you come with us, we can teach you how to fly and you'll get really powerful." Mitch explained.

"Yeah!" Lucas chimed in. "I know you'll be able to do it." he encouraged the Pokémon. Golbat lowered its head in thought for a few moments, considering the offer of the Trainers. It then looked back to them and nodded. Mitch then took out a Poké Ball and tapped Golbat with it, the Pokémon being converted to energy. PING!

"Aww!" Summer whined. "I was hoping I'd get to look at it more..." she lamented.

"You still can," Lucas assured her. "I mean, since Mitch caught it, now you can look at it anytime you like." he told her with a warm smile. Summer then turned to Mitch.

"Alright," she started. "I reserve the right to observe Golbat at any time I like."

"What if I'm asleep?" Mitch asked.

"Okay, except for when we're sleeping..." she agreed, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Deal." Mitch said. "Oh, the rain's cleared up." he told them as he looked outside.

"Alright, let's go!" Lucas said as he marched out into the open, followed by Mitch. Summer took a few deep breaths and then followed suit.

 **A/N - So, there we go. Mitch has caught a Golbat that can't fly properly, and with the offer of the trio, it decided to join his team so that it can learn to fly. What happens next? Find out next time, as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 22) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Dewpider (Lv. 22) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Bite, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin (Lv. 22) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Scratch, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Sawsbuck (Lv. 22) - Horn Leech, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 20) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Jumpluff (Lv. 35) - Acrobatics, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Bullet Seed, +Synthesis, +Seed Bomb**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 22) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**

 **Golbat (Lv. 22) - Aerial Ace, Leech Life, Wing Attack, Toxic, +Mean Look**


	33. A Bug-Eyed Bug-Out!

**A/N - A very short chapter this time; the reason for this being that I couldn't find a way to fit the events into the next chapter without overloading an already pretty long chapter. Anyway, enjoy!**

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Summer asked.

"Ready!" Lucas and Mitch replied.

"Cherubi, use Razor Leaf on Dewpider!" Summer commanded. Cherubi then jumped and somersaulted in the air shooting razor-sharp leaves at Dewpider.

"Monferno, destroy 'em with Flamethrower!" Mitch countered. Monferno then shot a stream of spiralling yellow and orange flame at the leaves, burning them to a crisp.

"Now's our chance, use Water Pulse on Monferno!" Lucas commanded. A sphere of water then flew out from Dewpider towards Monferno, hitting the fire type from behind, steam rising from the area. The steam cleared to reveal Monferno standing steadfast. "Dewpider, use Aurora Beam on Cherubi!" Dewpider then shot a thin beam of icy-blue energy towards Cherubi.

"Dodge it!" Summer yelled. Cherubi then somersaulted over the attack, the beam passing harmlessly underneath.

"Intercept the landing with Flame Wheel!" Mitch yelled. Monferno shrouded itself in flame and began to topspin and rushed over to Cherubi's landing spot, where the grass type fell straight into the flame.

"Cherubi, use Rollout to escape!" Summer cried. Monferno was knocked onto its back as Cherubi rolled over it. "Now go for Dewpider!"

"Counter with X-Scissor!" Lucas defended. As Cherubi rushed towards Dewpider, the bug type brought its two front legs up as they glowed blue. Cherubi slammed into Dewpider who then slashed forward with its legs, sending the small grass type flying through the air.

"Use the momentum to take out Monferno with Rollout!" Summer commanded, aiming to take out her weakness. Cherubi began to topspin and then shot forward at an alarming speed, taking everyone by surprise. As Monferno stood up, ready to re-enter the fray, Cherubi slammed into it with a loud thud, putting Monferno's face into the ground.

"Monferno!" Mitch cried out. "Return." he sighed as he stepped out of the battlefield.

"It's just you and me now!" Summer called over to Lucas.

"Let's do this!" he called back. "Dewpider, use X-Scissor!" he commanded.

"Use Leech Seed to immobilize it!" Summer countered. Dewpider rushed forward with its front legs glowing blue before Cherubi released multiple brown seeds towards Dewpider as vines shot out of them, wrapping around Dewpider, sucking some energy from the bug type.

"Dewpider, are you okay?" Lucas asked in concern. As he asked that question, Dewpider became enveloped in a blinding blue light, its form changing. The blue light dissipated to reveal a fairly large spider-like Pokémon with a bubble of water surrounding its head. Its six legs were yellow-green for two-thirds of their length, the final portions dark blue. Each leg had an opaque bubble enveloping each joint. Its abdomen was dark blue with brown streaks on the top and bottom, with two additional horizontal streaks on the top. Its eyes were a lighter tone of blue, with whitish-blue waves along the center of each eye. There were forked, brown "eyebrows" directly above the eyes. On the top of its head, there were three round, short growths that were the same colour as its eyes. Below its head, there was a mouth accompanied by hanging mandibles.

"Woaahhh…" the trio breathed in awe as Lucas took out his PokéDex.

"Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokémon." the female voice stated. "With its water bubble, Araquanid can deliver headbutts, which can suck in small Pokémon and cause them to drown." it continued. "However, in spite of its unnerving appearance, it is a caring Pokémon. It can use its bubble to encircle and protect weak and vulnerable Pokémon or store subdued prey and other valuables." it finished.

"Alright!" Lucas cheered. "Araquanid, finish this with X-Scissor!" he commanded confidently. Araquanid then rushed forward bring its two front legs up as they glowed blue and slashed forward at Cherubi, sending the small Pokémon crashing into Summer, unconscious.

"Cherubi, return." Summer said kindly, withdrawing her Pokémon.

"Guys, I think we're in Magnogrand City!" Mitch called to them. The two made their way over to Mitch and looked ahead to see two large Southern Magnolia trees on either side of the entrance to the city.

"Araquanid, let's go win our sixth Gym Badge." Lucas said to Araquanid, before withdrawing the Pokémon and walking towards the city.

 **A/N - And there it is folks, Lucas' Dewpider evolved into Araquanid but do you think he'll use it in the Gym Battle next chapter? The answer to that and more lies ahead, as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 22) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Araquanid (Lv. 24) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Liquidation, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin (Lv. 22) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Scratch, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Sawsbuck (Lv. 22) - Horn Leech, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 22) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Jumpluff (Lv. 35) - Acrobatics, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Bullet Seed, +Synthesis, +Seed Bomb**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 22) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**

 **Golbat (Lv. 22) - Aerial Ace, Leech Life, Wing Attack, Toxic, +Mean Look**


	34. A Marine Battlin' Machine!

**A/N - Lucas' sixth Gym Battle has arrived; he's getting ever closer to the Adina League. I started writing this around three years ago (as of 2019) and it's still not even halfway finished and the series itself is nowhere near finished; there's Lucas' Legacy and the Summer focussed spin-offs - Hoenn (prequel to Adina), Sinnoh, Kalos, and Kanto AND a sequel series with a brand new protagonist. So, if you're a fan, you'll have all of that to look forward to in the coming years. The # is to represent music notes because the site wouldn't let me use actual music note symbols (even though that was intrinsic to the character). Onto the chapter; hope you enjoy!**

The trio walked in between the two large trees that were framing the city's entrance and were immediately greeted by a denizen of the city.

"Hello there, travellers." he greeted amicably. "Welcome to Magnogrand City." he said.

"Thank you." the trio replied in unison.

"Not to be a bother, but i don't suppose you know where the Pokémon Center is, do you?" Summer asked kindly.

"As a matter of fact I do, young lady" he answered. "It's just down this road, two rights and a left. You can't miss it." he finished.

"Right, let's gooo…" she started before almost being bowled over by Lucas speeding past her. "Turn right!" she yelled as he reached an intersection.

 **00**

"Look, Rookie." Summer started. "I know you're all excited about getting you're sixth Gym Badge and having a challenge, I get it." she continued. "But you really need to stop running off so much." she scolded. "With the Sisterhood of Chaos still running loose, who knows what could happen?" she asked with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Huh, I'd sorta forgotten about them." Lucas admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Okay, I won't run off again." he said, trying to dismiss her worries. Summer then put her hands on his shoulders.

"Look me in the eyes and promise me you won't be so reckless from now on." she instructed, showing a level of worry that Lucas had never seen before. As Lucas looked into her eyes, he could have sworn he saw hints of moisture.

"I promise." he said seriously. Summer leaned forward slightly, hands still on Lucas.

"Hey guys, you ready?" Mitch asked, interrupting the moment. The two immediately broke away from each other and stood up.

"Sure" they answered simultaneously.

"Did I… interrupt somethi-"

"No!" Summer answered abruptly. "Come on, let's go!" she cheered as she marched out of the building.

 **00**

After making their way through the city, passing by some beautiful lakes, the trio arrived at the building with the very familiar symbol. They walked into the building and instead of the traditional appearance of some of the previous Gyms, the battlefield in the middle of the room was made up of a pool and floating platforms; there was one large rectangular platform in the center and four smaller, circular platforms on each side of it. The walls were the colour of an ocean blue and had a decal of a white wave across them. As Summer and Mitch took their seats in the high-up bleachers to the left, a woman walked out into the light and into her Trainer box on her side of the battlefield. She had long ocean blue hair that reached her lower back and sky-blue eyes. She was wearing a sky-themed bikini top and blue denim booty shorts.

"And who might #you# be?" she asked, with a slight singsong tone.

"I'm Lucas and I'm here to win my sixth badge." Lucas proclaimed as a scoreboard came down from the ceiling opposite the bleachers and a woman dressed in a modified version of the referee uniform stepped into the room and to the side of the battlefield.

"#I'm Ariel#" she sang. "I just #love# Water-types, don't you?" she asked rhetorically. "They're just so elegant. And powerful when they need to be." she continued. "I love to battle with that same elegance and power." she proclaimed.

"This will be a four versus four Gym Battle between Ariel, the Gym Leader and Lucas, the challenger. Only the challenger may make substitutions and the battle will be over when all Pokémon on either side are unable to battle." the referee explained, making herself known. "Do you accept these rules?" she asked.

"We do!" the combatants answered.

"Battle begin!"

"#Let's go!#" Ariel sang, throwing her Poké Ball in the air, releasing a crustacean Pokémon resembling a crab. Its had a shell covered the outside of its body, featuring a red upper-half, and a light tan lower-half. Its upper half was topped with six tall, thin spikes that resembled a crown. Its lower half doubled as its jaw with six fangs overlapping its upper body. Its two outer fangs were much larger than the inner two, and were roughly half as tall as Kingler's entire body. Its hips were visibly protruding from its lower body connecting its long, thin legs with claw-like feet. It's main feature was its red claws. Its left claw was roughly twice as large as the other. Lucas then took out his PokéDex to scan the unfamiliar Pokémon.

"Kingler, the Pincer Pokémon." the female voice stated. "Kingler is often found on the edges of water, usually the ocean. It has been observed using its powerful claws to pry open the shells of Shellder and Cloyster." it continued. " While Kingler's large, left claw is its main tool for offensive maneuvers, it is so large and heavy that Kingler can barely lift it." it finished.

"Let's bug 'em out Araquanid!" Lucas yelled, using his signature throw. The scoreboard lit up with their faces in the middle and three Poké Ball symbols beside each face, the other two spaces being filled with an image of the current Pokémon.

"Kingler, #Bubble Beam!#" Ariel commanded. Kingler pointed its large pincer at Araquanid and shot out a stream of bubbles towards the Bug-type.

"Take it head-on and then use Sticky Web!" Lucas countered. The bubbles all shot into Araquanid before the large Pokémon shook off the attack and shot out globs of sticky white material across the battlefield which turned into nets as they made contact with the battlefield.

"Kingler, dive into the water and use #Vice Grip# from below!" Ariel sang. Lucas watched Kingler's form moving in the water carefully before

"Return!" Lucas yelled, Araquanid disappearing from the battlefield just and Kingler came up from underneath the platform that Araquanid was standing on, causing it to fly into the air and land further to the right than before.

" _Huh. He's become a lot smarter than when we first met. He's even using better strategies."_ Summer thought to herself, proud of her companion and friend.

"Purrloin, you're up!" Lucas called, the purple feline appearing on the battlefield and underneath Araquanid's now dimmed picture on the scoreboard. "Be careful of the webs." he told it. "Now, kick this off with Fake Out!" he commanded.

"Counter with #Bubble Beam!#" Ariel countered.

Purrloin clapped its glowing orange paws together and sent out a shockwave of air from them stopping Kingler from releasing its attack.

"Follow up with Feint Attack!" he commanded.

"Use #Metal Claw!#" Ariel countered. Kingler rushed up to Purrloin as its large pincer became silver and metallic but Purrloin looked at it wide eyed and stopped the large Pokémon in its tracks. Purrloin then blindsided Kingler with its tail, knocking the larger Pokémon into one of the webs leaving it open to attack.

"Kingler!" Ariel yelled in concern.

"Now take advantage and use Grass Knot!" Lucas commanded, continuing his attack. Purrloin knelt down, planting its paw on the platform. Two blades of grass appeared underneath Kinger and entwined its leg causing it to trip and fall into the water.

"Kingler, hit back with #Mud Shot!#" Ariel yelled in desperation. Kingler made its way to the surface, opened its large pincer, the inside glowing orange and shot a multitude of mud pellets at Purrloin.

"Hit 'em all back with Iron Tail!" Lucas countered. Purrloin's tail then became silver and metallic before it jumped up into the air and batted all of the pellets back towards Kingler at an increased pace. They all crashed into Kingler with a mighty explosion, splashing water across the battlefield. Kingler was then revealed to be unconscious.

"Kingler, return." Ariel said sadly as it picture turned grey. "Looks like I'll have to step up my game to win this one." she said, her tone showing that she was impressed. "Basculin, #come on out!#" she sang as she threw the Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged had a green, ovoid body, tapering off in the rear to a trapezoidal tail fin. A thick black stripe covered the top of their body from mouth to tail and a white, dorsal fin with four protrusions resembling spikes. Its lower jaw jutted ahead of their upper jaw, with a small indent near the edges of their mouth. It also had three black dots on both sides of their body, behind their pectoral fins. As it landed on the surface of the water, its picture appeared underneath Kingler's on the scoreboard. Not recognizing the Pokémon, Lucas took out his PokéDex again.

"Basculin, the Hostile Pokémon." the machine said. "Red- and blue-striped Basculin are very violent and always fighting." it continued. "However, on rare occasions members of one school will mingle with the other's school. They are also remarkably tasty." it finished.

"Really? It doesn't look very tasty." Mitch expressed to Summer, not receiving an answer as she was enraptured by the battle.

"Let's do this Purrloin!" Lucas cheered. "Start this with another Iron Tail!" he commanded. Purrloin's tail turned silver and metallic once more as it rushed towards Basculin, jumping platforms erratically to confuse Basculin.

"Counter with #Aqua Jet!#" Ariel yelled. As Purrloin got closer and closer, Basculin became enveloped in water that took the shape of a bullet and shot forward at Purrloin sending the feline Pokémon somersaulting into the air.

"Use Iron Tail and spin like a wheel!" Lucas cried. Purrloin's tail once again became metallic as it began to spin like a wheel, the speed causing a white aura to envelop it. It slammed into Basculin, sending the fish deep into the water as it jumped off with a flip and landed on a nearby platform.

"Basculin, #let's step it up!# #Double Edge!#" Ariel sang. Basculin then shot forward once more, the bullet-shaped aura now white and purple.

"Meet it head-on with Foul Play!" Purrloin also shot forward enveloped by its own dark aura. The two Pokémon clashed in the middle of the battlefield, neither giving in before there was an explosion that sent water flying once more, obscuring the battlefield. There was a loud splash as Purrloin landed on the platform nearest to Lucas, breathing heavily and kneeling. Basculin floated up to the surface, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"Basculin…" Ariel muttered in shock, before returning the Pokémon to its Poké Ball as its picture also turned grey. "Clawitzer, #get ready!#" she sang as she threw her third Poké Ball towards the battlefield. The Pokémon that emerged from the bright blue light that poured out of the Poké Ball resembled a cyan-colored shrimp with a single black stripe on each of its body segments. It also had two claws, the right one much larger than the left one. The smaller claw was blue, with a yellow tip and black stripe. The large claw was dark blue, with a pair of yellow antennae and three black stripes. It also had a black stripe across its face and yellow semi-circular eyes. It's picture then appeared on the scoreboard underneath Basculin's. The Pokémon was unrecognized by Lucas, prompting him to take out his PokéDex for the third time that day.

"Clawitzer, the Howitzer Pokémon." the device stated. "Their enormous claws launch cannonballs of water powerful enough to piece tanker hulls." it continued. "By expelling water from the nozzle at the back of its claw, it can move at a speed of 60 knots." it finished.

"Purrloin, can you still fight?" Lucas asked. The Pokémon nodded in response, despite its heavy breathing and clear fatigue.

"Clawitzer, #Water Pulse!#" Ariel sang.

"Dodge it, Purrloin!" Lucas cried. Clawitzer formed a sphere of water in its claw and fired it towards Purrloin, who jumped to dodge the attack. However, the dodge was unsuccessful as the attack slammed straight into Purrloin, the feline landing in the water with a heavy splash.

"Purrloin, return." Lucas said sadly. "You deserve a long rest after fighting that hard." he praised. "Snorunt, it's time to chill!" he yelled, throwing his third Poké Ball. The small Ice-type landed on the platform in front of Lucas as her picture appeared underneath Purrloin's greyed out picture.

"Clawitzer, Water Pulse #again!#" Ariel commanded. Clawitzer fired the sphere of water again, aiming for Snorunt.

"Snorunt use Double Team!" Lucas countered. Snorunt then proceeded to make multiple clones of herself. "Now follow up with Icy Wind across the water while spinning!" he commanded. The clones disappeared as she released a sparkling blue snow across the water as she spun and towards Clawitzer, the attack causing the entire pool to freeze over.

"Clawitzer, use Crabhammer to break the ice!" Ariel called out.

"Interrupt it with Ice Shard!" Lucas yelled. As Clawitzer's enormous claw became enveloped in water and it prepared to hammer the ice, Snorunt shot a barrage of shards of ice at Clawitzer. The shards of ice shot forward at incredible speeds, colliding with Clawitzer before it could carry out its attack. "Finish this with Ice Beam!" Lucas commanded. An icy-blue zigzagging beam of ice shot out of Snorunt's mouth Clawitzer, slamming into the Water-type, knocking it unconscious and breaking the ice.

"Clawitzer return." Ariel said as she withdrew her Pokémon and it pictures turned grey. "#Ooh, such power!#" she sang. "But it's not over yet!" she proclaimed. "Milotic, #let's win this thing!#" she sang, throwing her final Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged this time was an aquatic, serpentine Pokémon with a primarily cream-colored body. It had red eyes with long, pinkish antennae above them. Additionally, there were long, hair-like fins above its eyes, which began thin and thickened towards the tips. These eyebrows extended to almost half of its body length. On top of its relatively small head was a straight spike. Running down either side of its neck were three black dots, similar to gills. Its lower body had a patterning of blue and pink, diamond-shaped scales outlined with black. The tail consisted of four large, blue fins with pink ovals in their centers. Each of the tail fins overlapped the next slightly, causing it to resemble a fan. It's picture replaced the final Poké Ball symbol on Ariel's side of the scoreboard.

"Milotic, the Tender Pokémon." Mitch's PokéDex stated. "Milotic is said to be the most beautiful of all Pokémon and their scales are said to change colour depending on the viewing angle." it continued. "When there are fights occurring, it has the power to calm angry feelings and end arguments by releasing a wave of energy." it finished.

"Milotic, #use Ice Beam!#" Ariel sang. Milotic then launched the same zigzagging beam of ice at Snorunt.

"Dodge it with Double Team!" Lucas cried out. Snorunt made multiple clones of herself once more as the attack destroyed a few of them. "Now get close and use Bite!" Lucas followed. Snorunt ran at Milotic, her jaw open wide.

"Counter with #Aqua Tail!#" Ariel countered. Milotic's tail became enveloped in in a light blue aura with water swirling around the tip and spun towards Snorunt, slamming her into Lucas.

"Snorunt!" Lucas cried out in concern. She was unconscious. "Return." he sighed as her picture greyed itself out. "Araquanid, let's bug 'em out!" he yelled, adopting his signature throw as its picture brightened up. "Let's kick this off with Leech Life!" he commanded. Araquanid then rushed forwards towards Milotic and clamped its jaw onto Milotic's tail, taking energy from the Pokémon.

"Milotic, #shake it off# with Aqua Tail!" Ariel commanded. Milotic's tal became enveloped in water again and it spun suddenly, launching Araquanid into the air.

"Use X-Scissor from above!" Lucas yelled. Araquanid's crossed its front two legs as they began to glow light blue as it fell towards Milotic.

"Use Ice Beam to freeze it!" Ariel cried desperately. Milotic then launched another zigzagging beam of ice towards Araquanid. The desperation of the attack caused it to miss as Araquanid slammed straight into Milotic, water splashing everywhere. "Milotic, #Recover!#" Ariel sang confidently. Milotic proceeded to envelop itself in a bright gold aura and as it dissipated, it seemed to have recovered most of its energy.

 _"grr"_ Lucas growled quietly. "Araquanid, lower its attack with Liquidation!" he commanded out loud. Araquanid then dived into the water and rushed towards Milotic and slammed into the slender Pokémon from underneath enveloped in an ocean blue aura. A blue ring of energy appeared around Milotic briefly before disappearing. "Press on with X-Scissor!" he continued. Araquanid crossed its two front legs as they glowed light blue and slashed at Milotic.

"Milotic, #Recover!#" Ariel sang again.

"No, you don't!" Lucas yelled. "Araquanid, close range Water Pulse!" he countered. A sphere of water slammed into Milotic just as it began to become enveloped in the same bright gold aura, causing a massive explosion, smoke and water flying everywhere. The battlefield cleared. Milotic was unconscious.

"Milotic is unable to battle!" the referee proclaimed. "That means that Lucas and Araquanid are the winners!" she announced.

"Milotic, return." Ariel said as she withdrew her Pokémon. "You fought your hardest." she praised as the picture turned grey and Lucas' moved to the center and enlarged as the word 'WINNER' appeared underneath with a confetti animation.

"Yeah! We did it!" Lucas cheered. Ariel then walked over to Lucas, badge in hand.

"To have such power and elegance… I've never seen it before. It's no wonder I lost." she praised. "Your power and elegance in battle have earned you a much deserved win and this, the #Elegance Badge.#" she sang. The Badge that Lucas received was in the shape of a ocean blue music note that was oval at the bottom, curved to a point at the top and was connected by a straight line.

"Thanks, Ariel." Lucas replied gratefully. "Alright! I just won… the Elegance Badge!" he cheered as he struck a pose with the badge between his finger and thumb.

"That was a great battle Rookie!" Summer cheered as she high fived him.

"Yeah, some of those strategies were top-notch." Mitch concurred.

"Hey, Ariel?" Lucas asked.

"The next Gym is in Buttonwood City. It's north of here, up past Route 22." she replied, answering his question before it was asked.

"Thank you, Ariel!" they called as they walked out of the Gym.

"Hey, Summer? Why didn't you answer my remark in there?" Mitch asked.

"What remark?" Summer asked, clueless.

"You know what? Don't worry about it." he dismissed. Lucas then let out a deep sigh and a yawn.

"You must be pretty tired, huh?" Summer asked. "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center, get some food and rest up." she said, not waiting for an answer. The trio of teen adventurers then proceeded walk into the sunset and the direction of the Pokémon Center for a good night's rest.

* * *

A woman with long purple hair and purple eyes looked at the black symbol with arrows in a circular pattern on her purple tank top in the mirror, her clenched fists shaking in anger and her knuckles beginning to turn white.

" _I thought that the item we were seeking would be at that museum for sure…"_ she thought to herself. " _I don't want to be demoted."_ she thought fearfully, eyes beginning to fill with moisture. " _I'm not that weak."_ she berated herself.

"Admin Luna to the Sister's office please." a voice rang throughout the building. The woman rubbed her eyes, smartened herself up and walked out of the room. As she walked through the building, she saw that the two grunts that had failed their assignment at the museum were slacking off. She walked up behind them.

"Ahem." she coughed, alarming the two grunts, who stood up immediately. "Slacking off, are we?" she asked.

"N… no, Miss Luna…" they answered fearfully. Luna gave the two a disapproving look.

"Now, what have we said about lying to your superiors?" she scolded them before backhanding one of them across the face.

"I… I'm s… so…. sorry Miss Luna." the grunt apologised, holding her now red cheek.

"Better." Luna praised coldly before walking off, her heels clacking against the floor. She reached the top floor of the building and was met with two large doors that had a fingerprint scanner and an intercom below it on the right hand side of them. Luna pressed the button on the intercom.

"Yes?" a feminine voice answered.

"You called for me, Sister?" Luna replied.

"Ah yes, come in." the voice instructed. There was the sound of stone shifting and the doors rose above the floor and into the top of the doorframe.

"What is it you want me for, Sister?" Luna asked as she bowed in respect to figure sat behind the desk who was wearing a jet black robe, the hood obscuring her face.

"We have found another potential location for the item that we have been seeking." she answered. "I have decided that you are the best candidate to explore this location and possibly retrieve the item." she explained. "However, your failure at the museum was your first strike." she warned.

"But, Sister-" Luna protested.

"You should always eliminate any witnesses or potential threats, no matter how weak they may seem." Sister interrupted. "That was part of the oath you took when you joined this organisation, was it not?" she asked. "If you fail to eliminate any threats or witnesses on this mission, that will be strike two." she warned. "Not finding the item will be disappointing, but like I said, it is a _potential_ location, so it may not be there. Do you understand your assignment?" she asked.

"Yes Sister." Luna answered, bowing once more before leaving the room.

 **00**

Archaeologists were investigating some ancient ruins that they thought may have some historical significance to the region when they were interrupted by the sound of heels clacking against the stone surface. They turned to face the source of the noise and saw Luna walking toward them, emotionless.

"Who said you could-" one of the archaeologists started before being interrupted by Luna as she slammed him against the wall.

"Shut it." she demanded coldly. "Now can any of you incompetents tell me where I can find what I'm looking for?" she asked menacingly. The archaeologists all looked at each other and then Luna with confusion. "We'll start with you." she stated to the man she had against the wall coldly.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about." the man said fearfully.

"Tell me where it is or so help me, I will leave you all dead where you stand." she threatened with a cold look in her eyes.

"Please!" the man begged. "I don't know!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "I have a family!" he pleaded desperately, more tears falling from his face.

"Isn't that a shame?" Luna stated.

 **00**

Luna looked around the ruins at all the bodies strewn around her.

" _Shit! Empty-handed."_ she thought angrily. " _But no witnesses this time."_ she consoled herself as she walked out of the ruis. " _But just to be sure."_ she thought to herself. She then took out two sticks of dynamite and a disposable lighter. She lit the dynamite's fuses and threw them into the cave along with the lighter.

 **A/N - Arc number six completed. Lucas has won his sixth Gym Badge and is on his way to Buttonwood City for his seventh. Also, at the beginning of the next arc, all Pokémon will have a massive level boost due to the level of the Buttonwood City Gym (don't worry, all evolutions will be on "screen"). Also, fan art is and will always be welcome and appreciated (atStarfishPhantom on Twitter). What will happen next? Find out next time, as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt (Lv. 24) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava (Lv. 22) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Smokescreen, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby (Lv. 24) - Agility, Earth Power, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Araquanid (Lv. 26) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Liquidation, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin (Lv. 26) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Scratch, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee (Lv. 20) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Sawsbuck (Lv. 22) - Horn Leech, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern (Lv. 20) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Mega Drain**

 **Cherubi (Lv. 20) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Razor Leaf**

 **Jumpluff (Lv. 35) - Acrobatics, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Bullet Seed, +Synthesis, +Seed Bomb**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno (Lv. 22) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics**

 **Zebstrika (Lv. 22) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit**

 **Banette (Lv 20) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory (Lv. 22) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**

 **Golbat (Lv. 22) - Aerial Ace, Leech Life, Wing Attack, Toxic, +Mean Look**


	35. The Icing On the Cake!

**A/N - Welcome one and all to the Buttonwood City Arc of this story! If you've made it this far, thank you for reading and reviewing (if you have reviewed). These chapters will be formatted a little differently than previous chapters as our heroes will be spending a week in Magnogrand City for some intense training with all of their Pokémon. Also, this was originally meant to be one chapter but it ended up being way too long, so now it's two. Now, onto the chapter!**

 **Day 1 - Morning**

"Ahh, it feels so good sleeping in a real bed…." Lucas said as he stretched and yawned.

"I know, right?" said a familiar voice from behind, startling him.

"Ah!" he yelped girlishly before trying to play it off as a cough as he turned around to see Summer standing at his door.

"What? Did I scaare you?" she asked devilishly.

"What? No." Lucas answered immediately, not convincing anyone.

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast." she invited, putting her hands up as a sign of peace. Lucas changed into his everyday outfit and followed Summer downstairs.

"So, what's the plan for today, Chief?" Mitch asked as their breakfast was placed on the table.

"I think an intense training session is in order," Lucas answered. "These Gyms just keep getting tougher and to be honest…" he paused.

"What?" Summer and Mitch asked simultaneously. Lucas made a face and sighed.

"I've noticed that my Pokémon have been getting taken out pretty easily," he answered. "So, who wants to go first?" he asked.

 **00**

Behind the Pokémon Center, Summer and Lucas stepped into the Trainer boxes on the battlefield while Mitch made his way over to the referee podium and threw his arms into the air.

"This will be a five-on-five battle between Lucas and Summer with no substitutions. The battle will be over when all Pokémon on either side are unable to battle. Choose your Pokémon!" Mitch announced.

"You're up Purrloin!" Lucas yelled as he threw his first Poké Ball which let loose a flash of blue light revealing the purple feline.

"Cherubi, let's go!" Summer yelled moments later, throwing her own Poké Ball, which opened to reveal Cherubi.

"This round will be between Purrloin and Cherubi!" Mitch announced "Battle begin!" he yelled as he dropped his arms.

"Cherubi, start with Growth!" Summer commanded.

"Intercept it with Fake Out!" Lucas countered. As Cherubi began to form the green orb, Purrloin clapped its paws together as they glowed orange and sent a shockwave of air rushing into Cherubi, cutting the move short. "Now, follow up with Foul Play!" he commanded. Purrloin then shot forward enveloped in a dark aura and rammed into Cherubi, sending it rolling back towards Summer.

"Cherubi, use Leech Seed and then Growth!" Summer yelled. Cherubi immediately launched a volley of brown seeds at Purrloin.

"Knock them away with Iron Tail!" Lucas countered. Purrloin's tail then gained a metallic sheen as it jumped into the air to knock away the seeds but as Purrloin hit one, another hit it right on its head, causing thin vines to envelop the feline. Suddenly, there was a flash of green as Cherubi was showered with green sparkles and two red rings of energy surrounded it before vanishing. Then a thin, red beam of energy came from the vines wrapped around Purrloin and was absorbed by Cherubi, restoring some of the grass type's lost energy.

"Cherubi, use Rollout!" Summer commanded. Cherubi jumped up and began rolling forward and kept rolling towards Purrloin as it hit the ground.

"Counter with Feint Attack!" Lucas cried. As Cherubi came closer and closer, Purrloin began to cower, hoping to stop its attack. When Purrloin saw that that wasn't going to work, it moved slightly to the left, trying to trick Cherubi. Cherubi then altered its aim in order to hit Purrloin, but the feline then jumped to the right and blindsided the pink Pokémon with its tail, causing it to veer off into a nearby bush.

"Cherubi, are you okay?" Summer asked in concern as it emerged from the bush, looking a bit scratched and fatigued. It put on a brave face and nodded with determination in its eyes. Another thin, red beam of energy came from the vines around Purrloin, helping Cherubi to recover a small bit. "Alright, recover with Morning Sun!" she commanded as she thrust her palm outwards. Cherubi began to pulse green as the sun seemed to shine even brighter than usual, clearing a few of the scratches on its body.

"Purrloin, use Grass Knot!" Lucas shouted. Purrloin then planted a paw on the battlefield and closed its eyes. Two blades of grass shot up underneath Cherubi and tripped the Pokémon up. A third thin beam of red energy was drawn from the vines and absorbed by Cherubi, causing Purrloin to cry out in pain and drop to its knees.

"Let's finish this!" the two Trainers yelled simultaneously. "Foul Play/Magical Leaf!" they commanded at the same time. Purrloin shot forward enveloped in a dark aura as Cherubi leapt up into the air, flipped and shot a flurry of rainbow coloured leaves towards Purrloin. Purrloin ducked down as the leaves flew overhead and looped back around to attack from behind. The leaves slammed into Purrloin at the same time the feline had crashed into Cherubi, producing a cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" Mitch announced. "This round is a draw!" he declared. "Trainers, choose your next Pokémon!" he instructed.

"Jumpluff, I choose you!" Summer cried out as she threw the Poké Ball, releasing the round Pokémon.

"Pluff." it huffed, not wanting anything to do with her.

"Aw, come on Jumpluff, won't you listen to me just this once?" she begged as she approached it. Jumpluff then floated away from her.

"Hm, you're making this easy," Lucas said with a smirk. "Quilava, fire up!" he yelled, throwing his Poké Ball. Quilava then leapt out of the blue light, somersaulting multiple times before landing and shooting flames from its back.

"This round will be between Jumpluff and Quilava!" Mitch declared. "Battle begin!" he yelled.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel!" Lucas commanded. Quilava began to topspin as it covered itself in flames and sped towards Jumpluff.

"Jumpluff, dodge it!" Summer cried out. Jumpluff didn't listen and sent out a strong gust of sparkling wind at the approaching Pokémon in an attempt to slow the opponent down. Quilava pushed through the wind with little effort and slammed into the grass type dealing some significant damage. "Jumpluff!" Summer cried. "You have to listen to me!" she shouted firmly. "Use Synthesis to recover." she commanded.

"Pluff!" Jumpluff cried as it turned away from her and the ball of cotton on its head began to glow yellow as the round Pokémon shot a barrage of glowing yellow seeds at Quilava.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Lucas yelled. Quilava flared up the flames on its head and back and shot a spiralling stream of red and yellow fire straight at the seeds and Jumpluff. The stream overpowered the grass type attack easily, burning the seeds to a crisp before enveloping Jumpluff in flames, causing it to shriek in pain from the super effective attack. The round Pokémon floated down to the ground, unconscious.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle!" Mitch declared. "The winner is Quilava!" he announced. "Summer, choose your next Pokémon!" he instructed.

"Eevee, it's your turn!" she yelled, throwing her third Poké Ball.

"Vee!" the brown Pokémon cheered as the blue light dissipated.

"This round will be between Quilava and Eevee!" Mitch declared. "Battle begin!" he yelled.

"Quilava/Eevee, use Quick Attack!" Lucas and Summer yelled simultaneously. The two Pokémon shot forward with a burst of speed and white light trailing behind them before they collided and skidded back to their respective Trainers.

"Quilava, use Smokescreen to cover our approach!" Lucas commanded. Quilava began to produce the black smoke before the flames on its back flared up and the fire type coughed out a bullet of fire that was sent rocketing towards Eevee.

"Dodge it, Eevee!" Summer yelled. Eevee jumped backwards towards Summer as the fire bullet crashed into the ground, a cloud of black smoke shooting out from the impact.

"Quick, use Double Kick!" Lucas commanded, swinging his right arm to the right. Quilava ran towards Eevee on all fours as its back paws began to glow white.

"Endure!" Summer countered. A red aura began to envelop Eevee as Quilava approached. Quilava's paws slammed into Eevee's face, pushing the small Pokémon back slightly. "Now follow up with Shadow Ball!" Eevee then shot the purple ball of energy right at Quilava, sending the fire type flying through the air.

"Use the momentum for a powered-up Flame Wheel!" Lucas cried out, hoping to use the height to his advantage. Quilava began to topspin as it enveloped itself in flames while speeding towards the ground.

"Eevee, use Endure again and then use Swift!" Summer countered. A red aura began to envelop Eevee once more as it braced for impact. At that moment, Quilava hit the ground and shot forward at Eevee before crashing into the small Pokémon, a cloud of smoke surrounding the area. The silence was then pierced by a high-pitched scream, accompanied by a blue shockwave sending Quilava soaring through the air before it crashed into the ground.

"Quilava is unable to battle!" Mitch announced. "The winner of this round is Eevee!" he declared. "Lucas, choose your next Pokémon!" he instructed.

"Diggersby, I choose you!" Lucas shouted as he threw his third Poké Ball into the battlefield. The blue light dissipated to reveal the large Pokémon using its ears to flex and make a beckoning gesture at Eevee.

"This round will be between Diggersby and Eevee!" Mitch announced. "Battle begin!" he shouted.

"Eevee, use Swift!" Summer commanded, thrusting her palm outwards. Eevee gathered a set of stars that circled its tail before they rocketed towards Diggersby.

"Counter with Agility!" Lucas cried out. Diggersby stood still, waiting for the right moment to speed out of the way. The stars got closer and closer and suddenly Diggersby held its ears out in front of it and produced a shimmering green bubble, protecting it from the attack which bounced off harmlessly. "Now use Earth Power!" he commanded. Diggersby then punched the ground, causing cracks in the ground that travelled across the battlefield and underneath Eevee, damaging the small Pokémon. Eevee then fell onto its stomach in exhaustion.

"Eevee!" Summer cried in concern for her Pokémon.

"Now let's finish this," Lucas said ruthlessly. "Dig!" he screamed. Diggersby drilled a hole into the ground and dropped down, speeding over to Eevee. Just as Eevee had begun to stand up, panting in exhaustion, Diggersby shot up from underneath with a solid punch to the gut, sending Eevee through the air motionless, before it crashed into Summer, who withdrew the Pokémon.

"Eevee is unable to battle, making Diggersby the winner!" Mitch announced. "Summer, choose your next Pokémon!" he instructed.

"Sunkern, it's your time to shine!" she shouted as she threw the Poké Ball.

"Sun! Sunkern!" it said fiercely, ready for battle.

"This round will be between Sunkern and Diggersby!" Mitch declared. "Battle begin!"

"Diggersby, use Double Kick!" Lucas commanded. Diggersby trudged towards Sunkern as fast as it could as its right foot began to glow white.

"Trip 'em up with a Leech Seed!" Summer countered. Sunkern tilted forward and shot a volley of brown seeds at Diggersby legs and feet. As soon as they made contact, thin vines began to wrap around Diggersby, causing it to fall flat on its face. "Now follow up with Grass Whistle!" she continued. Sunkern's sprout then began to sway as the seed-like Pokémon began to whistle a gentle tune, sending green music notes at the prone Diggersby. The music notes made contact, sending the large Pokémon to sleep instantly. A thin red beam of energy then came from the vines around its legs and was absorbed by Sunkern.

"Diggersby, wake up!" Lucas cried out, unable to do anything.

"Sunkern, use a Razor Leaf barrage!" Summer commanded. Sunkern pointed its sprout at Diggersby and unleashed flurry after flurry of razor-sharp leaves that cut into Diggersby with no sign of relenting along with thin red beams that were absorbed by Sunkern.

"Diggersby, use Protect, please!" Lucas begged. Diggersby eyes shot open and it produced a shimmering green bubble that encased the large Pokémon. The leaves glanced off the shield, leaving Sunkern panting from the amount of energy expended to keep attacking before it regained a little from another red beam of energy which brought Diggersby to its knees. "Now use Quick Attack!" he commanded hurriedly. Diggersby shot forward with a burst of speed, ear fist outstretched, leaving a trail of white streaks.

"Razor Leaf!" Summer countered just as hurriedly. Diggersby crashed into Sunkern and at the same time, Sunkern had just managed to fire off a flurry of razor-sharp leaves. Sunkern fell unconscious first as Diggersby stood tall and flexed its ears and growled. And then, it too fell flat on its face.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. This round is a draw!" he declared. "Trainers, choose your next Pokémon!" he instructed the two combatants.

"Araquanid, let's bug 'em out!" Lucas yelled, throwing his fourth Poké Ball into the battlefield, which opened and revealed the bug type, as stoic as ever.

"Sawsbuck, nature calls!" Summer shouted as she threw her final Poké Ball which revealed the deer who swiped its hoof along the ground, readying itself for a battle.

By this point, a large crowd had gathered behind the Pokémon Center after hearing the commotion and was abuzz with excitement. Friends were placing bets with each other, others were discussing type advantages and disadvantages, and some were bragging about their own skills.

"This round will be between Araquanid and Sawsbuck!" Mitch announced. "Battle begin!" he yelled with as much volume as possible.

"Araquanid, reduce their movement with Sticky Web!" Lucas commanded confidently. The large Pokémon shot multiple globules of sticky, white material through the air before they exploded into webs upon impacting the ground. Summer stayed silent after the move, so Lucas decided to continue his attack. "Use Aurora Beam!" he yelled. Araquanid then shot a thin beam of icy-blue energy at Sawsbuck.

"Use Feint Attack and Headbutt!" she countered. Sawsbuck then disappeared and reappeared behind Araquanid before headbutting the opponent. Lucas smirked with confidence as they had fallen into his trap.

"Use X-Scissor and knock it into one of the webs!" he yelled as he punched forward. Araquanid raised its two front legs and crossed them as they glowed blue and slashed at the retreating Sawsbuck. The deer was sent sliding into one of the webs which instantly wrapped around it with sounds of "Ooooh!" coming from the crowd. "Now follow up with Aurora Beam on the web!" he continued. Another thin beam of icy-blue energy was shot towards Sawsbuck and hit the web, causing ice to spread across the web freezing the web and Sawsbuck legs in place. But Sawsbuck continued to struggle against the trap.

"I didn't even know you could do that!" a kid's voice from the crowd yelled.

"Use Synthesis to recover some energy!" Summer commanded, panicked. The grass on its antlers began to glow green as it became showered in white sparkles, restoring some much-needed energy as sounds of admiration came from the crowd.

"Araquanid, use Water Pulse!" Lucas commanded, throwing his right arm to the side. Araquanid shot an ocean-blue orb of water at Sawsbuck who was unable to dodge due to being trapped. Summer then had an idea flash through her mind.

"Sawsbuck, try and use Double Kick to destroy the web!" she yelled hurriedly. Sawsbuck's back hooves began to glow white as it tried to stretch them to hit the ice, but they barely scratched the surface. "Keep using Double Kick until you're free Sawsbuck!" Summer commanded again. Sawsbuck kept using the move over and over until suddenly cracks began to spread across the ice.

"You're not getting out that easily!" Lucas yelled. "Araquanid, use Leech Life!" Araquanid then rushed over to Sawsbuck and clamped its jaws onto the antlers, draining energy from the deer. Then Summer had another sudden idea.

"Take advantage of our position and use Horn Leech!" she commanded, becoming more and more confident that she could win. Sawsbuck's antlers began to glow yellow and absorbed Araqaunid's energy. "Now, use Double Kick to break the ice!" Sawsbuck's back hooves glowed white and kicked the ice one more time, causing it to shatter into smithereens and sparkle in the sky, drawing "Ooh" and "Aah" from the crowd.

"USE LIQUIDATION!" Lucas screamed.

"HEADBUTT!" Summer screamed at the same time. Araquanid became enveloped in an ocean-blue aura and rushed towards the charging Sawsbuck. The two Pokémon collided fiercely, creating a shockwave that rippled through the crowd before dust was shot up from the force of the attacks. Everyone was breathless, waiting for the results of the match. The dust dispersed gradually. Both Pokémon were lying motionless on the ground.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" Mitch declared as people in the crowd handed money to others while grumbling. "This round is a draw!" he announced. "However, with one Pokémon remaining, Lucas is the overall winner!" he yelled as cheers and applause came from the crowd. The combatants were withdrawn back to their Poké Balls. Lucas was then approached by a group of little kids complimenting him on how strong he was. Lucas chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. One of the kids then asked for an autograph and a picture which Lucas agreed to. The kid looked delighted after Lucas had given him what he wanted. Another kid approached him nervously.

"Hey mister?" she asked, getting his attention. "How did you get to be so strong?" she asked.

"Well, I think as long as you have a strong bond with your Pokémon then anyone can become strong," he told her sagely. "Do you want to be a Trainer someday?" he asked.

"I sure do!" she exclaimed proudly. "Do you think I'll become strong enough to beat the League?" she asked expectantly.

"Oh, absolutely, I can tell." he answered with a wink before her parents came and took her back into the Pokémon Center. The crowd was beginning to disperse and go back to their lives.

"Phew, that was tough." Summer said. "I didn't expect that icy Sticky Web." she admitted.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a genius." Lucas boasted jokingly.

"Pfft, yeah right." she scoffed. "Lunch?" she asked.

 **00**

After lunch, they walked back out onto the battlefield, but Summer went to the lounging area nearby instead along with Mitch.

"Alright everyone, come on out!" he cheered as he threw all his Poké Balls into the air, unleashing a burst of bright blue light. "Diggersby, Quilava, I want you to work on your new moves this afternoon, is that alright?" he asked them. Diggersby turned its nose up at Quilava and turned its back on the fire type

[PokéSpeak]

"Come on, man, what's your problem with me?" Quilava asked. Diggersby scoffed.

"Oh, I think you know that already." the large Pokémon said. Quilava lowered its head and furrowed its brow in thought before looking back up.

"No, I don't." he said to Diggersby. Diggersby then turned around at looked at him.

"Okay, I'll tell you," he said. "Do you think I wanted to be caught back then?!" he shouted, making Quilava flinch. "No, I didn't," Diggersby answered for himself. "And as far as I'm concerned, that's your fault." he told the fire type.

"Okay, but if that's the case why do you even listen to Lucas?" Quilava asked. "I'm sure if you asked, he'd release you and let you do your own thing." he told Diggersby.

"Because, haven't you noticed, I'm a lot stronger with the human. D'you know how long it would've taken me to evolve in the wild?" he asked.

"Probably a long time," Quilava answered. "But what happens when he calls out both of us to battle together against someone else's Pokémon?" he asked. "What then?"

"I'll do my own thing and you'll do whatever the human tells you." Diggersby answered simply.

"Oh come on, you know that won't end well." Quilava retorted. "I know we don't like each other, but if we work together, we can be even stronger." he told the rabbit.

"Well, I might consider it." Diggersby started. "IF you apologise for catching me." he added.

"Okay, that's fair," Quilava replied. "I'm sorry for being the reason that you were caught, I hope we can move past this." he apologised.

"It'll do." Diggersby stated.

[Exit PokéSpeak]

"Okay, guys, you ready?" Lucas asked, gaining a nod from both Pokémon. "Quilava, use Flame Burst and Diggersby, use Protect!" he commanded. Quilava's flames flared up as he reared his head back and spat a bullet of fire into the air aiming for Diggersby. As the bullet of fire came closer and closer, Diggersby stuck his ears out and formed a shimmering green barrier that the fire bullet ricocheted off of. "Again!" Lucas yelled. The same moves were used, garnering the same results. "Now keep it up until I tell you to stop." he instructed, getting a nod of confirmation from both Pokémon as he made his way over to the lounging area to join Summer and Mitch.

"Did you notice how long they were talking for just then?" Summer asked.

"Yeah, what was that about?" Mitch asked, joining the conversation.

"I'll be honest with you, I have no idea," Lucas confessed. "But I'll tell you one thing, I'm glad that they finally resolved their differences." he said.

"Wait, I thought they did that ages ago when we battled with them." Summer said confused.

"Yeah, I'd only just noticed it, but they never interact with each other and shoot dirty looks at each other all the time." he explained. He looked back at the two who were still training their new moves. He then sat down on the sun lounger next to Summer and closed his eyes for a bit.

 **00**

When he opened them, it was sunset and the two Pokémon were still training, sweat dripping off their bodies and panting in exhaustion. Lucas immediately ran towards them and knelt down next to them.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked. The two Pokémon nodded and began to fire off more attacks. "I think that's enough training for today guys." he told them. The Pokémon shook their heads and continued with their moves. "Guys, if you keep this up, you're either gonna collapse or cause yourself some serious injuries, you better stop." he told them sternly. The two Pokémon reluctantly stopped training before falling on their face in exhaustion and Lucas withdrew them along with his other Pokémon. He walked into the Pokémon Center and went to bed.

 **Day 2 - Morning**

Lucas got out of his bed and stretched before getting changed and walking downstairs to meet the others for breakfast.

"Hey guys." he greeted Summer and Mitch cheerfully as he walked up to the table and sat down. "Anyone got any plans for today?" he asked.

"Well, I was planning on going shopping for supplies for when we leave." Summer answered.

"I was going to train, d'you wanna have a training battle with me this time?" Mitch asked.

"Sure" Lucas answered with a shrug as Summer got up and left the building while the two boys went to outside the back of the Pokémon Center.

"Just a quick thing, when I send out Golbat, can you go easy on her?" Mitch asked. "It's just, I don't want her to feel left out or inferior, y' know?" he added.

"Yeah, sure thing." Lucas agreed. "I can't say I won't win the round though." he added. The two Trainers entered their respective Trainer boxes and released all their Pokémon next to them.

"Snorunt, it's time to chill!" Lucas cheered as he pointed at the battlefield. Snorunt ran straight in and hopped up and down excitedly.

"Golbat, let's go!" Mitch yelled, also pointing at the battlefield, leading Golbat to carefully step forward onto the battlefield.

"Snorunt, I want you to go easy on this, okay?" Lucas asked quietly. Snorunt nodded emphatically in response.

"Golbat, use Mean Look!" Mitch commanded. Golbat then ran up to Snorunt and towered over her, making as mean a face as possible. An ethereal barrier was placed in front of Lucas, preventing Snorunt from escaping.

"Snorunt, use Double Team to surround her then use Icy Wind!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt made a few clones of herself before they sent sparkling blue snow at Golbat, freezing her in place.

"Golbat!" Mitch cried out. "Use Aerial Ace to break out!" he commanded. But nothing happened.

"Now use Ice Shard to break the ice!" Lucas yelled. Snorunt then fired multiple shards of ice from her mouth at the frozen Golbat. They rocketed towards her and impacted, shattering the ice which then rained down on Golbat, damaging her even more.

"Quick, use Wing Attack!" Mitch commanded desperately. Golbat's wings glowed a dull white and she began to smack Snorunt with them doing little damage.

"Bite!" Lucas yelled. Snorunt then opened her mouth and bit down on one of Golbat's wings, causing her to fall unconscious. "Sorry, man."Lucas apologised as Mitch withdrew her. "I tried." he said.

"It's okay, I don't think she's ready yet anyway," Mitch admitted. "It's time to strike! Skarmory, I choose you!" he yelled as he pointed at the battlefield again. The steel bird walked onto the battlefield confidently.

"Snorunt, no holding back this time," Lucas told her. "Use Ice Shard and get the first hit!" he shouted. Snorunt formed the shards of ice and shot them at Skarmory.

"Take flight and dodge them!" Mitch countered. Skarmory shot up into the air but was too late as one the shards hit its legs, causing him to wobble slightly. "Now set up with Spikes!" Mitch continued. Skarmory then started spinning rapidly, multiple glowing red spikes coming out of his body and being absorbed by the ground.

"Snorunt, use Double Team to confuse them!" Lucas commanded. Snorunt created multiple clones of herself and started trying to confuse Skarmory.

"Nice try," Mitch said. "Skarmory, use Air Cutter!" he yelled. Skarmory flapped his wings and sent multiple silver crescents at all the Snorunt. Each clone disappeared as it was hit one by one. Lucas had an idea.

"Let it hit you and then use Avalanche!" he yelled. The crescent on energy cut into Snorunt sending it rolling before she shot back up. Snorunt's body glowed light blue and a dark cloud appeared over Skarmory. Chunks of white ice then began to rain down on Skarmory sending it plummeting to the ground headfirst.

"Use the momentum and use Steel Wing!" Mitch commanded hurriedly, hoping he would pull out of the nosedive in time. Skarmory's wings glowed a dull grey as it just managed to pull up and skimmed the ground, speeding towards Snorunt. The Pokémon collided and Snorunt was sent rolling to Lucas' feet before being withdrawn.

"Quilava, fire up!" Lucas yelled. Quilava then jumped onto the battlefield and flared up his flames before flinching from stepping on one of the spikes. "Hit 'em hard with Flame Burst!" he commanded immediately.

"Dodge it and use Rock Tomb!" Mitch countered. Skarmory ducked underneath the bullet and clapped his wings together, summoning a group of boulders above Quilava.

"Speed out of the way with Quick Attack!" Lucas cried. Quilava sped out of the way as white streaks trailed him and the boulders crashed into the ground. "Flamethrower, let's go!" he yelled, throwing his right arm to the side. Quilava then flared up his flames and shot a spiralling stream of red and yellow fire at Skarmory who was charred to a crisp and nosedived to the ground motionless. Mitch withdrew him before he hit the ground, not wanting to cause any unnecessary damage.

"Monferno, flame on!" he cheered. Monferno ran onto the battlefield and punched the air repeatedly.

"Flamethrower!" they yelled simultaneously. The two Pokémon shot the spiralling stream of red and yellow fire at each other. The two attacks collided in midair, neither Pokémon giving in. BOOOM! A cloud of black smoke shot up from the middle of the battlefield.

"Flame Wheel!" they yelled simultaneously again. The two Pokémon covered themselves in flame and began spinning forward. Another explosion occurred in the middle of the battlefield, sending the two Pokémon soaring through the air, Quilava doing some backflips before landing.

"Quilava, use Quick Attack!" Lucas commanded.

"Counter with Mach Punch!" Mitch countered immediately. The two Pokémon sped towards each other, white streaks trailing behind Quilava and Monferno's fist glowing blue. They collided with each other sending them skidding back to their Trainers.

"Use Quick Attack to get close!" Lucas commanded. Quilava sped forward towards Monferno once more. "Now use Headbutt!" he added as Quilava got close enough.

"Brick Break!" Mitch yelled. Monferno's fist glowed a brick red colour as it cracked Quilava across the face and some of the scratches on his body began to fade. Quilava fell to the ground and stood back up shakily.

"Double Kick/Brick Break!" Lucas and Mitch commanded simultaneously. Quilava's back paws glowed white while Monferno's hands glowed blue. The two attacks collided with a resounding CRACK! The two Pokémon fell unconscious there and then before being withdrawn to their Poké Balls.

"Diggersby, I choose you!" Lucas cheered as he pointed towards the battlefield, prompting Diggersby to trudge into the battlefield, flinching as he took damage from the spikes.

"Banette, let's give 'em a fright!" Mitch cheered, doing the same as Lucas, prompting Banette to enter the battlefield.

"Diggersby, use Mud Shot!" Lucas commanded. Instead of carrying out the command, he stomped on the ground causing it to shake before a pillar of dirt shot up and cracked Banette underneath the chin sending it into the air.

"Banette, use Dark Pulse!" Mitch commanded. Banette put her cloth arms together and fired a spiralling, black and purple beam of energy from the center at Diggersby.

"Protect!" Lucas countered. Diggersby thrust his ears forward, forming a shimmering, green barrier, the attack glancing off it. "Now use Double Slap!" he added.

"Intercept it with Sucker Punch!" Mitch countered. As Diggersby ran towards Banette, the ghost type drew her arm back and readied a punch. As soon as Diggersby drew back one of his ears to punch, he received a punch straight in the gut, catching him off-guard before attempting to attack again only for punches to pass straight through Banette.

"Obviously! Holy crap, I'm stupid!" Lucas berated himself mentally. "Diggersby, use Earthquake!" he yelled, trying to ignore his mistake. Diggersby stomped the ground again, causing it to shake once more.

"Quick, use Destiny Bond!" Mitch yelled in a panic. A thin, ethereal rope tied around Banette shot over to Diggersby and wrapped around him instantly before another pillar of dirt cracked Banette under the chin knocking her unconscious. Diggersby was celebrating by flexing before his eyes went purple and he slumped forward face-first.

"You're up Purrloin," Lucas said, prompting Purrloin to saunter onto the battlefield, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Let's give 'em a shock Zebstrika," Mitch said to his Pokémon, prompting the horse to trot onto the battlefield.

"Zebstrika, build up some speed and use Flame Charge!" Mitch commanded right off the bat.

"Oh, I don't think so!" Lucas rebutted. "Purrloin, use Fake Out!" he countered. Purrloin immediately clapped her paws together as they glowed orange and sent a shockwave of air at Zebstrika, stopping his attack. "Now follow up with Foul Play!" he commanded. Purrloin then shot forward enveloped in a dark aura and charged into Zebstrika.

"Zebstrika, use Thunderbolt!" Mitch commanded. Zebstrika's stripes and mane began to rapidly flash yellow before he fired off a massive amount of electricity throughout the area, zapping Purrloin. "Now use Flame Charge!" Mitch continued. Zebstrika swiped its hoof across the ground kicking up some dust, it then shot through the dust in an orb of red and yellow flames and ran at Purrloin.

"Trip 'em up with Grass Knot!" Lucas countered. Purrloin dropped to the ground and planted a palm on it. Two blades of grass then appeared underneath Zebstrika and twisted around his leg, causing him to fall on his face. "Now finish this with Scratch!" he yelled. Purrloin shot forward at the prone Zebstrika and her paws began to glow purple. She then thrust her paw onto Zebstrika's face, the force of the attack sending him sliding across the ground over to Mitch, who withdrew him to his Poké Ball.

"Damn, dude, Purrloin's a speed demon," Mitch commented, making Purrloin puff out her chest proudly. "Right, shall we go heal our Pokémon and get lunch?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's." Lucas agreed.

 **00**

Mitch walked back out of the Pokémon Center and released his Pokémon from their Poké Balls. They all cheer and start playing or talking with each other. "Monferno, Zebstrika, can you come here a minute?" he asked them, they came up to him and looked up at him. "I want you two to train on Discharge and Drain Punch," he told them. "D'you think you could do that?" he asked them. They nodded and ran off to practice their moves far away from anyone that could be hurt. Mitch looked at all his Pokémon proudly but noticed that Golbat was sat on her own looking down at the ground. He walked up to her and knelt down next to her.

"Hey Golbat, you okay?" he asked, brow furrowed in concern.

"Goool…" she said sadly, not looking up.

"You sad about losing earlier?" he guessed and she nodded in response. "How about I give you some flying lessons instead of battle training?" he offered.

"Gol. Golbat!" she cheered.

"Alright, you ready?" he asked, receiving a nod. "Go!" he shouted. Golbat ran forward as fast as she could before jumping and spreading her wings. She didn't make it very far before falling, though, and she quickly became sad again.

"Don't worry Golbat." Mitch comforted her. "We can try again and I'm sure you'll get there eventually," he assured her. "Now go." he said, prompting her to run forward again before jumping and spreading her wings, gaining a lot more distance this time. "Woah nice job Golbat!" Mitch cheered for her. "Now one more time." he said. Golbat did the exact same thing as before but gained even more distance drawing cheers from the team. Mitch then realised how close to sunset they were and decided to stop the training session and head back inside.

 **Day 2 - Evening**

Lucas lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He stared for another five minutes before getting up and making his way to the roof entrance of the Pokémon Center. He walked out onto the roof and was immediately hit by the slightly humid air. He then noticed that Summer was lying on a sofa, looking up at the stars. He waved at her and she waved back.

"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" she asked as she sat up to let Lucas sit next to her. He shook his head and let out a big sigh as he sat down. "What's wrong?" Summer asked kindly.

"It's just…" he started. "Sometimes, I start doubting whether I'm actually a good enough Trainer to win the League, y' know?" he continued. "I mean, earlier today, I used a normal type move on a ghost type." he told her, using his hands to show his frustration.

"Yeah, I get that." Summer replied. "Back in Hoenn, I was an absolute train-wreck," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

"Well, like you, I doubted if I was ever good enough to be a Coordinator." she started. "But, I also used to have a stutter," she told him. _"Shit! Why'd I tell him that?!"_ she questioned herself mentally.

"Really?" Lucas asked. "But you seem so confident now," he told her.

"Well, I had some speech therapy and I'm mostly over it now," she said. "Although, I still worry about it coming back, like every day," she confessed.

"Well, even if it does come back, I won't ever judge you for it, I promise," Lucas promised her. The two embraced each other in a warm hug and closed their eyes. They exited the embrace and entered the Pokémon Center and went back to their rooms.

That night, as Summer drifted off to sleep, she dreamt of Lucas.

 _The two were sat on a hill watching the sun come up over a small town. She turned towards Lucas, leant in and entered a passionate kiss with him, silhouetted by the sunrise._

 _"I love you, Lucas." Summer said as they broke away from the kiss._

 _"I love you too, Summer," Lucas replied before they put their arms around each other and continued watching the sunrise._

 _At the same time, Lucas had also drifted to sleep but he had dreamt of Summer. She was standing on what Lucas imagined a Contest stage to look like, dancing with her Pokémon. He was sat in the audience and found himself unable to speak awestruck by this girl. She continued to dance as confident as ever. All Lucas could do was mutter the word 'Wow."_

 **Day 3 - Morning**

As the group were eating their breakfast that morning, there a was a bright spark of electricity from across the Pokémon Center; they looked over in that direction and saw a woman sat at a table and fiddling with a small device. As they walked over, they noticed that she was wearing dirty overalls and goggles that had dirt on the lenses. Her blue hair was also tied back into a ponytail.

"Excuse me, miss, are you okay?" Summer asked. The woman looked up at the group and lifted the lenses of her goggles to get a better look at them with her green eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," she replied. "Just a problem with the…" she continued, starting to babble about technical stuff. She then noticed how quiet the group were and went wide-eyed. "Oh I'm sorry, I'm babbling, aren't I?" she asked. "Sorry, I do that a lot." she apologised. "I'm Eve, by the way." she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you!" the group chorused.

"So what are you working on?" Lucas asked. The woman gasped.

"Wait, you're actually interested?!" she exclaimed excitedly. "No-one's ever really paid me any attention like this before!" she continued. "This is a little thing I like to call the 'Pokémon Energy Monitor' or 'PEM' for short." she started. "It's a device that will allow Trainers to check the energy levels of their Pokémon, just by glancing at their wrist!" she explained.

"Woah!" the group exclaimed.

"But how does that work?" Mitch asked.

"Well, there's two components." she continued to explain. "Sort of like Mega Evolution. The Trainer wears the device on their wrist and can register their Pokémon on it and they can then tap the sprites of those Pokémon to see their energy level," she added. "In addition, the Pokémon wear a similar device that monitors their energy levels." she finished. "Hey, do you want to come up to my workshop and we can finalise the devices together?" she asked suddenly.

"Absolutely!" Lucas cheered.

 **00**

They watched as Eve opened her door and walked in behind her. What they saw was a messy room with tools scattered everywhere and snack wrappers and empty energy drink cans strewn about the place.

"I know, it's really messy…" Eve told them. "But I just get so focused that I barely pay attention to anything else." she elaborated. "Now, let's get started!" she cheered as she clapped her hands together. The group set to work on the PEMs, handing Eve tools or components - some of which she had to explain what they looked like - and holding the devices steady so Eve could do some intricate work on them. There was the occasional spark or two, but Eve quickly fixed the issues that caused those.

 **Day 3 - Afternoon**

It had taken them all morning to finish working on the PEMs with Eve, but afterwards, they felt a sense of achievement.

"Thank you all ever so much for helping me." Eve thanked them. "If you hadn't helped me, I'd probably still be working on them, days from now!" she exclaimed. "Ooh, how about a test run?!" she asked excitedly.

"Wait, really?" Lucas asked back, excitement in his eyes. Eve nodded emphatically.

They walked out of the back of the Pokémon Center and onto the battlefield. Lucas released his Pokémon and attached one of the devices to Purrloin's arm as he explained to her what it does.

"Alright, I'll hold the Trainer's PEM, y' know, just in case," Eve said, sweatdropping. Eve then registered Purrloin to the device, a small sprite of the Pokémon appearing on the small screen. She tapped the sprite and a bigger sprite appeared with a green bar underneath and a heart monitor underneath that beeped steadily.

Summer then released Eevee who cheered upon being released.

"Alright, let's go!" Purrloin, use Assurance!" Lucas commanded. Purrloin disappeared from sight and reappeared immediately in front of Eevee before she thrust her glowing purple palm into Eevee's face, sending her skidding back to her Trainer.

"Eevee, use Swift!" Summer rebutted. A group of star-shaped projectiles began circling Eevee's tail before she shot them at Purrloin. The stars impacted Purrloin, the green bar on the screen going down a small amount and the heartbeat quickening.

"Alright!" Eve cheered from the sidelines. "It definitely works!" she told them as she walked up to them. "Lucas, as a reward for helping me, I want you to take these," she said, handing Lucas five more PEMs for his Pokémon and the Trainer's PEM to him.

"Thank you!" he said in delight. He then put the Trainer's PEM on his wrist, the screen facing inward, before attaching the Pokémon's to them and registering their data on the TPEM.

"Hey, here's my number, if you ever need me for any gear or if you have some improvement suggestions for these," she said, giving him her X-Transceiver number. "Feel free to call and give me update on how they're working," she said, before walking back into the Pokémon Center.

"She was cool, I liked her." Lucas complimented. Summer began to make a face in response but quickly realised what she was doing and became neutral.

 **Day 3 - Evening**

Lucas was sat on his bed thinking about nothing in particular when his X-Transceiver rang. He looked at the device and saw Professor Blossom's face and name on the screen, so he answered the call.

"Hey, Professor!" he greeted.

"Hey, Lucas!" she greeted back. "Just thought I'd check up on my _favourite assistant,_ " she said sweetly. Lucas' eyes narrowed.

"You said the same thing to Tendou, didn't you?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Pfft, what, no!" she spluttered. "Anyway, where are you now?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm in Magnogrand City, taking a break after winning my sixth badge." he updated her.

"And your Pokémon?" she asked. "Last time I checked you had a team of four, right?" she continued.

"Yeah, I did." Lucas started. "But now I've got five, two of which are fully evolved." he continued.

"So what does your team look like now then?" she probed.

"Well, Snorunt seems to be enjoying herself on this journey with me." he started. "And now I've got a Quilava, a Diggersby, a Purrloin, and an Araquanid." he continued. "One more and I've got a full team." he finished excitedly.

"Wow, congratulations!" she cheered. "You'll be Champion in no time!" she exclaimed. "Well, I should go now," she started.

"Hey, Professor?" Lucas asked before she hung up. She looked at him expectantly. "How do I know if someone likes me?" he asked, brows furrowed, hoping Professor Blossom could offer him some advice.

"Hmm," she answered, putting a finger to her chin. "I'm not really certain whether there's a sure-fire way of being able to tell." she began. "But have they been acting a little differently than they would usually?" she asked. "Or are they less talkative around you?"

"Hmm, I guess she has stopped calling me by my nickname…" Lucas mused. A small, fat, blue and cream Pokémon came running in and started berating the Professor, who sweatdropped.

"Alright, Munchlax, I'll feed you now," she said, keeping it at arm's length and appeasing the Pokémon. "Bye, Lucas! Good luck!" she said as she hung up.

 _"Wait, does she mean good luck with the League stuff or the romance stuff? Or both?"_ Lucas asked himself before going to sleep.

 **Day 4 - Morning**

"Right, listen up, boys!" Summer instructed suddenly, Lucas nearly choking on his food from the suddenness. "I want to put on a proper Contest show for you two~" she told them excitedly.

"Not that I'm complaining about it, but why?" Lucas asked, trying to hide his excitement at getting to see her perform again.

"What? Can't I put on a show for my friends?" she asked. Lucas' eyes widened a little at that word.

"Friends?!" he exclaimed mentally.

"Now, I'm going to go practice, no peeking!" she warned them as she walked outside to the back of the Pokémon Center. "Come on out!" she cheered as she threw all her Poké Balls in the air. The burst of bright blue light dissipated to reveal her Pokémon, most of whom cheered, except for Jumpluff who soured at the sight of Summer who withdrew the disobedient Pokémon so that it couldn't ruin the practice.

"Cherubi, Eevee, Sunkern and Sawsbuck, we're going to be practising a special performance for the boys today," she told them. "Although to be honest, it's mainly for Lucas," she whispered. "So let's work hard and give them a show!" she cheered.

"Alright, Cherubi, use Growth!" she commanded. Cherubi began to form the green orb, but instead of exploding there and then, it was fired off into the distance.

"Woah, Energy Ball!" Summer cheered. "Alright, Eevee, Sunkern and Sawsbuck, triangle formation!" she commanded. "Now, Sunkern, use Grassy Terrain!" she continued. Sunkern fired a bright green seed from his sprout at the ground, causing grass and flowers to grow from it. "Now Cherubi, fire an Energy Ball to Sawsbuck! Everyone else, play catch!" she commanded. Cherubi formed the green orb once more and shot it towards Sawsbuck who used her antlers to hit towards Eevee who hit it towards Sunkern. He jumped up to hit the ball but missed it by a hair, the ball flying into some bushes, before he looked down at the ground sadly as the terrain faded back to normal.

"Sunkeeeerrn…." he moaned.

"Hey, it's okay, Sunkern." she comforted. "No-one's ever perfect, that's what the practice is for." she continued. "I'm sure we'll put on the best performance ever," she reassured him. She then began to feel to pairs of eyes watching her and she turned around and saw Lucas and Mitch watching from the roof of the Pokémon Center.

"What did I say?!" she asked them loudly. "No peeking!" she yelled. "Stop being so nosy and go do your own thing!" she told them.

* * *

"-your own thing!" Summer yelled at the two boys from below. The boys went back into the Pokémon Center, slightly disappointed that they were caught peeking.

"So, now what do we do?" Lucas asked, out of boredom as he sat at the table. Mitch placed his bag on the table and began to dig through it. He continued to do this for several minutes until he pulled out a deck of playing cards and replaced his bag with the deck.

"A game of cards?" he offered.

"Sure, why not?" Lucas replied. Mitch began dealing the cards out onto the table as Lucas ordered some drinks. "So," he started, drawing Mitch's attention as he placed a card down on the table. "Why'd you leave Alola?" Lucas asked, a sigh coming from Mitch.

"I guess…" Mitch began hesitantly as he then placed a card on the table. "It was just the stress of traditions being placed on me," he answered. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Akala Island, but I had to get away from all of it." he continued, the drinks being placed on the table. Mitch took a sip from his drink. "My family have all been great Trainers and have all done the Island Challenge of Alola, and they were putting a lot of pressure on me to do the same," he explained, before running his hands through his hair. "But I felt that I just wasn't up to the challenge and so…" he continued, pausing. He let out a long sigh. "I ran away from home…" he revealed. Lucas almost spat out his drink at this revelation.

"Y-you what?" Lucas managed to cough out. Mitch nodded to affirm his revelation.

* * *

Summer had finally decided on the routine that she wanted to perform and so left her Pokémon to practice it; in the meantime, she was going to go and find people to invite to her impromptu show.

"Excuse me, sir, would you like to see me perform later today?" she asked a young man who was walking past the Pokémon Center.

"No thanks," he replied, disinterested. Summer bowed her head in sadness.

"T-t-that's, like, the f-fourth rejection in an hour..." she muttered, stuttering slightly. She rubbed her chin in thought, trying to think of a way to attract a crowd. A lightbulb went off in her head, she wasn't fond of the idea, but it was the best she had. She headed back the Pokémon Center, entered her room and changed into the outfit she had bought from Sitka City and let her hair down, making it fall to the small of her back.

 **Day 4 - Afternoon**

Summer walked into the lobby of the Pokémon Center, dressed in her new outfit, and saw the boys playing their card game. She walked up to the table that they were sat at.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted. Lucas turned towards her and audibly gasped at the sight of her. Along with the short and elegant low-cut green dress, she was wearing strappy high heels and a flower crown on her head. "The show is about to start, so hurry up~" she told them as she walked away.

"Wow!" was the only thought that Lucas' brain was capable of forming as the boys followed her to the practice battlefield.

They walked out of the Pokémon Center and saw that a large crowd had gathered, they assumed, for Summer's performance. Summer gave a wave to the crowd, who cheered loudly in response.

"Is everyone ready?!" she yelled. Again, the crowd cheered loudly in response. "Everyone, iiiiitttt's showtime!" she cheered as she threw the four Poké Balls in the air. There was a burst of bright blue light as the Pokémon jumped out of their Poké Ball. "Sunkern, use Grassy Terrain!" she commanded. Sunkern shot a glowing green seed out of his sprout at the ground. The seed was absorbed and the ground suddenly had grass and flowers spreading across it. "Now, triangle formation, Eevee and Sawsbuck!" she followed. Eevee and Sawsbuck stood opposite each other next to Sunkern. "Cherubi, use Energy Ball!" she yelled, Cherubi then formed a bright green orb of energy and shot it towards the other three Pokémon. "You three, play catch!" she commanded the other three. Eevee jumped and swung her tail at the ball, sending towards Sunkern who used his body to hit towards Sawsbuck. Sawsbuck then used her antlers to hit the ball back towards Eevee.

"Vee/Saws/Kern!" the Pokémon cheered simultaneously as they were playing catch.

"Cherubi, join in with Rollout!" Summer cheered, doing a twirl, her hair flowing behind her. Cherubi began spinning like a wheel and jumped towards Sawsbuck as she sent the Energy Ball towards Sunkern. Sawsbuck hit Cherubi towards Eevee who jumped up and hit Cherubi with her tail, in a similar fashion as before, back towards Sawsbuck. The group of three then began to juggle the Energy Ball and Cherubi, drawing cheers from the crowd.

"WOOOW!" a small voice from the crowd yelled.

"Now, send them sky-high, Sawsbuck!" she commanded, throwing her hand towards the sky. Cherubi and her Energy Ball shot straight up into the sky. "Cherubi, use Magical Leaf on the Energy Ball!" Summer yelled, spinning once more. Cherubi then fired a flurry of rainbow-coloured leaves at the green orb, causing to explode and rain rainbow sparkles.

"Eevee, dance! Sunkern, accompany her with Grass Whistle!" she commanded. "Sawsbuck, use Synthesis and catch Cherubi!" she followed up. Eevee jumped straight into the shower of sparkles and began to dance, jumping and twirling as Sunkern whistled a cheerful tune that matched the style of Eevee's dancing. As Cherubi was falling to the ground, the grass on Sawsbuck's antlers glowed green as she became surrounded by sparkles. Cherubi then landed in the grass and popped out with a cheer. Silence. Then rapturous applause with cheering and whistling.

"Thank you, thank you!" Summer cheered as the group bowed, signalling the end of their performance. Lucas walked up to Summer, his heart pounding harder than when he was having Gym battles.

"That was amazing Summer. The confidence was astounding." he complimented. Summer blushed in response.

"Thanks, Lucas," she replied. Lucas opened his mouth to say something else but quickly became aware of the crowd that was still there and decided to just smile back before walking away.

"Your choice of moves was a really unique way to use them, I thought." Mitch then complimented her.

"Thank you very much," she replied with a smile.

 **Day 4 - Evening**

Lucas drifted off to sleep that night, memories of the show still fresh in his mind.

 _Lucas looked out at the vast expanse of the sea that stretched out before them and he turned to Summer._

 _"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked in awe._

 _"It is," Lucas started. "Do I say it?" he thought to himself. "But not as beautiful as you are." he followed. Summer blushed deeply at the compliment and smiled back at him. The two looked deep into each other's eyes, leaned into one another and entered a soft kiss that felt like it lasted forever._

"I love you, Summer," Lucas muttered.


	36. The Cherrim On Top!

**A/N - I'm sorry that it was a day late, I just had to touch up some aspects of the chapter so that I was happy with it. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Day 5 - Morning**

Lucas began to set up the training dummies he had found from the equipment shed near the battlefield.

"Alright, everyone," he started, addressing his Pokémon. "This morning we're going to be doing some intensive training." he told his team. "Purrloin, you're up first." he told her. "We're going to be working on dodging attacks since you're so fast." he said. "Aaaand, Quilava you're going to work on improving your speed." he told him. "Go!" Quilava began spinning like a wheel as he covered himself in flames and sped towards Purrloin, who dodged the attack by an inch, the heat singing some fur. Lucas looked at the TPEM and saw that Purrloin wasn't actually injured by the attack.

"Good!" he praised. "Again!" he commanded.

* * *

A middle-aged woman was sat at a desk in her room, staring at a screen with the words 'Chapter 1' on it, the cursor blinking incessantly.

"Screw it." she said, turning the computer off, before getting up and looking at herself in the mirror. Her white eyes stared back at her as her medium-length purple hair fell behind her. She looked at her outfit, the team's logo on her purple T-shirt and her jet-black mini skirt. She walked out of her room and heard a conversation between two grunts.

"So, what do you think our boss even looks like?" one of the women asked as the writer got closer.

"I don't know, but wouldn't it be crazy if-" the other one started.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting." the writer asked, interrupting the conversation. "But first of all, what the Sister looks like does not concern you and secondly, if I were you, I would be more concerned with your children having to grow up without mothers, if you keep asking questions about matters that don't concern you." she warned, the grunts going wide-eyed and silent.

"Admin Asema to the Sister's office." a voice came over the PA system. "Admin Asema to the Sister's office." the voice repeated. Asema walked away from the two grunts, the heels of her ankle boots clacking against the floor. She entered the elevator and scanned her fingerprint, allowing the top floor button to reveal itself. She pressed the button and the elevator began to head upwards.

"I wonder what she wants with me." Asema thought to herself before the elevator dinged and the doors opened. She headed down the corridor to the two large doors. She scanned her fingerprint again and pressed the button for the intercom.

"Yes?" the Sister answered.

"It's Asema." the admin answered. There was a shifting of stone and the two doors rose up into the door-frame, allowing Asema to enter. The figure sat at the desk had her hood up and writing in a notebook. She looked up.

"Asema, I have an assignment for you." she told the admin. "I want you to find an item. It's called a Chaos Stone." she instructed.

"Excuse me for asking," Asema began, bowing her head. "But I've never heard of that, what exactly is it?" she asked. The Sister thought for a moment before replying.

"I think I can trust you more than Luna." she began. "Are you familiar with the tale of Amelia Adina?" she asked the admin. Asema nodded. "Well, they say that the creature that killed her was one of immense chaos." the Sister said. "The Chaos Stone will allow us to bring back that creature and thus accomplish our ultimate goal." she explained.

"I accept this assignment graciously, Sister." Asema told her.

"Pack your bags for a day or two, since the location we have is somewhat…" she paused. "Secluded." the Sister instructed before Asema left the office. Asema headed back to her room and entered it and began packing for the journey. She then headed down to the air hangar where there was a private helicopter ready and waiting for her. She entered the helicopter and took out her laptop and began to research Amelia Adina and theories that people had as the helicopter started taking off.

 **Day 5 - Afternoon**

Lucas lay on the ground, panting heavily, surrounded by his Pokémon, who were also panting.

"Alright, good job guys." Lucas praised his team from the ground, before passing out.

Summer and Mitch watched on from deckchairs to the side of the battlefield.

"Hey, we haven't actually hung out much, have we?" Summer asked, turning to Mitch.

"Now that you mention it.." Mitch replied. "So… uhh," he stumbled, thinking for a few seconds. "What do you wanna talk about?" he finally asked. "What was that?" he asked himself. "That was so stupid!" he told himself.

"Well, uhhh, we could just get to know each other a little better?" Summer offered. "I'll start, I'm from the Hoenn region where I used to be a Coordinator." she told him. "You're from Alola, right?"

"Yep, I am," Mitch answered. "So, what made you want to come to Adina?" he asked quickly, making a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"Honestly, I don't really have a specific reason for coming here, but my ultimate goal is to become a world-famous coordinator," she told him. "What about you?" she asked.

"Just to get away, really," he answered with a shrug. "My goal, I guess, would be to become a respected Kahuna like one of my ancestors." he continued.

"Kahuna?" Summer questioned.

"Yeah, in Alola, we don't have Gym Leaders," Mitch started. "Kahunas are the closest thing we have to them, " he continued. "There are four major islands in Alola and four Kahunas who preside over them." he continued. "Each Kahuna is chosen by the island's respective deity and they can't refuse." he finished.

"So, what if someone wasn't planning on becoming a Kahuna and was then chosen?" Summer asked curiously.

"Well, they just have to deal with it." he answered with a sigh. "One of the current Kahunas usually just denies being one when approached by challengers." he said, a slight chuckle escaping.

"Isn't that kinda irresponsible?" Summer asked.

"Well, yeah." he admitted. "But there's no rule against doing that." he continued.

"Alola... I'll have to visit one day." Summer thought to herself.

 **Day 5 - Evening**

Lucas lay back on the sofa on the roof of the Pokémon Center and looked out at the colourful city of Magnogrand and the magnolia trees that were scattered about the place.

"Hey, Lucas," a voice called out from behind him. Lucas looked behind him to see Summer walking towards him. She sighed, "I've got, something to tell you." she said.

"Me too." Lucas said. Summer was taken aback by this, blinking for a few seconds.

"I've been having dreams about you." the told each other simultaneously.

"W-what were yours like?" Summer asked nervously.

"Well, the first one, I was watching you on, I think, a Contest stage and you were dancing with your Pokémon." he told her. "What about you?" he asked back.

Summer's breathing quickened and her heart began to pound. She took a steadying breath before saying "In my one I had, we were sat on a hill watching the sunrise and then..." she paused, swallowing. "We kissed and said we loved each other." she finished, bracing herself for a reaction.

"You've only had one?" Lucas asked.

"You've had more?" she asked back.

"Yeah, but only one more, and it was embarrassingly cheesy," he answered. Summer looked at Lucas expectantly. Lucas sighed. "I guess we were at the beach or something and we were looking at the ocean and you said that it was beautiful and I agreed," he told her. "Can you guess what the next thing I said was?" he asked. Summer struggled to suppress a laugh but let out a little chuckle. Silence fell, the romantic tension thick. Suddenly, a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder broke the silence. A downpour of rain began falling heavily forcing the two to run inside for shelter. They both ran to their rooms and went to bed.

 **Day 6 - Morning**

A lush forest, Pokémon playing throughout, and Pokémon swinging through the trees. The peace was then disturbed by the faint thrumming of a helicopter that got louder and louder, causing all the nearby Pokémon to scatter. Asema stepped off the helicopter into this forest and looked at the small hand-drawn map in her hand and the Itemfinder in her other hand.

"Wait for me here, but use the reflective panels to camouflage yourself." she instructed the pilot. The helicopter's panels then began to flip and mirror the environment. Asema then began to walk further into the forest, checking the map and the Itemfinder.

"Hmm, maybe the main character could have some sort of authority problems..." she began muttering as she walked. "Or maybe a twist where the villain wins and then I could make a sequel out of it?" she continued as she checked the map. The Itemfinder suddenly beeped, snapping Asema out her thoughts. She then marked the spot that she was standing at on the map. Asema then began to turn around in a circle before the Itemfinder beeped when she was facing north-east, she also marked this on the map. Asema followed the new direction, still muttering about character arcs, with the Itemfinder beeping steadily while she was marking her path on the map. The Itemfinder began beeping at a more rapid pace than before, Asema looked ahead and saw a clearing in the forest. She approached the clearing and as she got closer, she saw the remains of a wooden cabin that had clearly been reclaimed by nature with vines and moss and grass enveloping much of it. Asema smirked. "Finally..." she muttered as she put an X on the map. What she didn't notice, however, was the low growling of a pack of dark-furred wolves that began to surround her from a distance. Asema then began to retrace her steps back to the helicopter before the pack of wolves leapt out in her direction. She dodged the assault "Mightyena, what are they doing here?" she thought to herself as she threw a Poké Ball. The Pokémon that emerged from the blue light was bipedal with mostly black fur and purple claws. It also had a collar of brown fur and a large amount of purple hair with brown tips that goes down its calf before turning brown with a purple tip.

"Zoroark, use Hyper Beam on the largest!" Asema commanded. Zoroark then gathered orange energy in its hands before shooting a massive beam of orange energy at the pack leader causing it to tumble through the forest and the rest of the pack to follow it. Asema withdrew Zoroark before continuing to retrace her steps.

* * *

Lucas looked around his room and sighed at the fact that soon, he wouldn't be sleeping in a real bed anymore. He then began to pack his belongings into his backpack still mourning the fact that he would have to camp again. There was a knock on his door and he saw Summer and Mitch standing in the doorway.

"Do you wanna get some lunch or do you want a moment alone with your bed?" Mitch joked. Lucas chuckled as he began to stroke his chin.

"Well, this bed is pretty comfy..." he answered before his stomach let out a rumble. "Well, there's your answer." he joked before they headed downstairs.

"I'm just saying," Lucas defended through a mouthful of food. "A real bed is much comfier than a sleeping bag." he stated.

"Well, yeah," Summer began. "But think about how comfy the rooms in Trainer's Village are gonna be!" she told him optimistically.

"You're right." Lucas agreed. Mitch looked at the clock on the wall and went wide-eyed. "What's wrong?" Lucas asked.

"The thing is..." Mitch began. "I haven't even started packing yet." he admitted.

"What do you mean you haven't packed?!" Summer yelled, making Mitch flinch. "We're leaving tomorrow!" she continued.

"Alright, alright." Mitch surrendered. "I'll start packing." he said before leaving the table.

 **Day 6 - Afternoon**

Lucas put the last of his belongings into his backpack and tried to close it but the strings failed to meet the buttons. This didn't deter Lucas though and he kept trying from different angles. Lucas left the room and went to Summer's room.

"Hey, Summer?" he asked through her open door.

"Yeah, what is it, Lucas?" she asked back.

"Could you help me close my backpack?" he asked. "I think I overpacked..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, of course." she replied. The two then made their way back to Lucas' room.

"3, 2, 1..." Lucas counted down before pulling the loop of string down towards the button while Summer held down the open flap. "That's one down," he said. "Ready for the next one?" he asked. Summer nodded. "3, 2, 1..." he counted down again, performing the same manoeuvre as before. Lucas jumped onto the bed and lay back before sighing contentedly. "Hmmm... Should I?" he thought to himself. He then motioned for Summer to join him.

"W-w-w-wait, y-y-y-you w-want me to j-j-join y-y-you?" she stuttered in a flustered state. "S-s-s-stop laughing..." she trailed off as she saw Lucas still smiling warmly at her. Her heart began to pound harder than it ever had before. She then joined him and lay back on the bed. "Th-thanks f-for not laughing at me." she told him. Lucas furrowed his brow.

"Why would I do that?" he asked. Summer leaned onto his chest and she heard his heart pounding just as much, if not more, than hers. Then Lucas put his arm around Summer and they just lay there comfortably.

 **Day 6 - Evening**

Mitch sighed as he finally started to pack his things into his backpack. "Should I call home?" he wondered to himself as he pulled out his cell phone and looked at the word 'Home' on his contact list. His thumb hovered over the phone symbol for a few seconds. Mitch let out a short, frustrated sigh before locking his phone and continuing to pack. "Is being a Kahuna really what I want?" he asked himself. "Or am I just following my ancestor's footsteps like my parents want me too?" he questioned. He lay down on the bed and tried pushing those thoughts away so that he could get a good night's sleep

 _A group of children were laughing at a small child with green hair._

 _"S-s-s-stop it, y-you guys!" she cried, tears pouring from her eyes._

 _"W-w-w-why?" one mocked._

 _"Gonna cry more?" another teased._

Summer woke up with a loud sob. She wiped her eyes and felt the tears that were falling out.

"Summer, are you okay?" Luas asked worriedly. Summer swallowed and dried her eyes.

"It was just a bad dream." she answered. Lucas sensed that was something more to it than that.

"Do, do you wanna talk about it?" he asked her. She shook her head and just hugged him as they both went back to sleep.

 **Day 7**

The group had gathered at their usual breakfast table for their usual breakfast.

"So, it's Gym number seven next, isn't it?" Mitch asked. Lucas nodded.

"Any idea what type the Gym Leader specialises in?" Summer asked. Lucas shook his head as he ate a mouthful of food. Summer turned to Mitch. "Is it just me or does Lucas seem quiet to you?" she asked worriedly.

"It's probably just 'cause we have to start camping again." Mitch answered nonchalantly. Summer thought for a moment.

"Yeaaah, I guess you're right." she agreed.

"Am I even strong enough to make it to the next Gym, let alone beat the Gym Leader?" Lucas questioned himself. He was snapped out his thoughts by Summer's hand waving in front of his face.

"You ready?" she asked. Lucas nodded as he picked his backpack up off the floor.

"Let's go." he said, smiling. The group left the Pokémon Center and walked to the northern gate of the city, taking in the city of water one last time; admiring the magnolia trees, and the canals that people were travelling on. The trio left the city and began their trek through Route 22 which was full of very tall grass and puddles, the depths of which were unknown. Up ahead, there was a small moving shape, Summer noticed it first.

"Guys, can you see that?!" she asked them as she pointed in the direction of the shape. The boys squinted as they tried to find what Summer had been pointing to. As they began to squint harder, the shape came closer to them, dancing like no one was watching. Now that the trio had a better view, they could see that it was a Pokémon. It was a cactus-like Pokémon with large ear-like extensions that featured dark green and yellow spikes moving further up. The extensions also had flowers with pink petals and yellow centres at the top. It also had a yellow spike on its head and spiky-looking mouth; other dark green spiky arrangments adorned its neck, base, which was shaped like a five-pointed star and the wrists of its yellow-fingered arms. Lucas immediately took out his PokéDex.

"Maractus, the Cactus Pokémon." the female voice said robotically as an image of the Pokémon appeared on the thin screen. "When it moves rhythmically, it makes a sound similar to that of maracas. Oftentimes, this will make the surprised Pokémon flee." the PokéDex finished.

"Cherubi, let's go!" Summer yelled, throwing the Poké Ball before Cherubi leapt out of the blue light and landed on the ground. "Cherubi, use Rollout!" she commanded. Cherubi then began rolling towards to Maractus, gaining more and more speed. Suddenly, just as Maractus was about to be hit by the attack, it put its spiky hands in front of itself and summoned a dark green shield that had dark green spikes protruding from it. Cherubi, unable to stop herself crashed straight into the spikes before Maractus' spiky hand began to glow purple and it punched Cherubi, sending it back to Summer.

"Maractus!" the cactus Pokémon cheered as it twirled around.

"Cherubi, are you okay?" Summer asked. Cherubi stood up and nodded at her Trainer. "Okay, use Growth!" Summer commanded. Cherubi shot a green orb of energy into the sky before it exploded sending green sparkles back down to her. She was then surrounded by two red rings for a second before they disappeared. Maractus shot a ball of fire into the sky from the two flowers that sprouted from the protrusions on its head. The ball of fire then exploded creating strong sunlight.

"Ma!" it cheered again.

"Cherubi, use Energy Ball!" Summer yelled. Cherubi followed her Trainer's orders and formed a green ball of energy and fired it at Maractus. Maractus retaliated by shooting a bunch of cotton spores out of its flowers and covering itself in them, lessening the damage from the attack. Once the spores had dissipated, a crimson red ring of energy surrounded Maractus for a moment before that too disappeared.

"Cherubi, use Morning Sun!" Summer yelled. Cherubi became enveloped in bright blue light and began to change form. The blue light disappeared with a burst and revealed the new Pokémon. Pink petals, reminiscent of cherry blossoms surrounded her head and covered her chest; several of the petals were sticking out and she sported two cherry-shaped orbs on her head. Lucas took out his PokéDex again and scanned the evolved Pokémon.

"Cherrim, the Blossom Pokémon." the voice said, bringing up images of it with closed petals and open petals. "During times of strong sunlight, its bud blooms, its petals open fully and it becomes very active." it finished.

"Alright!" Lucas cheered. "Cherubi evolved!" he yelled excitedly. Maractus began dancing with even more energy.

"Cherrim, use Rollout!" Cherrim began rolling across the ground towards Maractus even faster than before. Maractus summoned the spiky shield again but Cherrim swerved to the side and attacked Maractus from behind, knocking the cactus to the ground. Summer threw a Poké Ball at the downed Pokémon and hit her target. Maractus was sucked into the device which began to wiggle as it hit the ground. It wiggled again. And again. PING! Summer ran over to the ball and held it at arm's length.

"I just caught... a Maractus!" she cheered. "Come on out!" she cheered, throwing the Poké Ball up into the air. The burst of blue light dissipated to reveal Maractus dancing and twirling around.

"Ma-rac-tus!" it cheered as it twirled over to Lucas and began dancing in front of him, cheering all the while.

"Let's get going to Buttonwood City." Lucas said as he walked ahead, hands laced together behind his head.

 **A/N - And there we have it - the Buttonwood Arc has officially started and Summer's team got a new addition along with an evolution. And I know, these chapters were insanely long, but we got a lot of character development, some romantic set up between Lucas and Summer (tell me if you like the romance or not or improvements that could be made to it.). We also got some Sisterhood of Chaos shenanigans; what is this mysterious creature? You'll have to wait and find out, I'm afraid. Next chapter (it won't be anywhere near as long, I promise), our heroes have left for Buttonwood City, but along the way are blocked off from progressing, what could this mean for our heroes? Find out as the journey continues...**

 **Lucas' Team: Snorunt[f] (Lv. 55) - Avalanche, Ice Beam, Double Team, Bite, +Ice Shard, +Icy Wind**

 **Quilava[m] (Lv. 55) - Headbutt, Flame Wheel, Flame Burst, Double Kick, +Flamethrower, +Quick Attack**

 **Diggersby[m] (Lv. 55) - Protect, Earth Power, Earthquake, Quick Attack, +Double Slap, +Dig**

 **Araquanid[f] (Lv. 55) - Leech Life, Sticky Web, Liquidation, Aurora Beam, +X-Scissor, +Water Pulse**

 **Purrloin[f] (Lv. 55) - Fake Out, Feint Attack, Iron Tail, Foul Play, +Assurance, +Grass Knot**

 **Summer's Team: Eevee[f] (Lv. 55) - Swift, Bite, Shadow Ball, Endure, +Hyper Voice, +Quick Attack**

 **Sawsbuck[f] {Summer} (Lv. 55) - Horn Leech, Feint Attack, Headbutt, Double Kick, +Synthesis, +Leech Seed**

 **Sunkern[m]{Shiny} (Lv. 55) - Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Endure, Grassy Terrain, +Grass Whistle, +Giga Drain**

 **Cherrim[f]{Flower} (Lv. 55) - Morning Sun, Magical Leaf, Growth, Leech Seed, +Rollout, +Energy Ball**

 **Jumpluff[m] (Lv. 55) - Acrobatics, Fairy Wind, Mega Drain, Bullet Seed, +Synthesis, +Seed Bomb**

 **Maractus[f] (Lv. 55) - Spiky Shield, Cotton Guard, Needle Arm, Petal Dance, +Sunny Day, +Poison Jab**

 **Mitch's Team: Monferno[m] (Lv. 55) - Brick Break, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Mach Punch, +Acrobatics, +Drain Punch**

 **Zebstrika[m] (Lv. 55) - Flame Charge, Thunderbolt, Stomp, Shock Wave, +Pursuit, +Discharge**

 **Banette[f] (Lv 55) - Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, +Sucker Punch, +Destiny Bond**

 **Skarmory[m] (Lv. 55) - Rock Tomb, Spikes, Steel Wing, Air Cutter, +Swift, +Air Slash**

 **Golbat[f] (Lv. 55) - Aerial Ace, Leech Life, Wing Attack, Toxic, +Mean Look, +Venoshock**


End file.
